Rook's Rant writes:
One of the things I find most remarkable is this whole line about the Democrats not having a message. What exactly does that mean? Is not “having a message” an advertising agency concept? You know, selling stuff....So, let me repeat this. Running for office is not about selling products. It is about choosing the best man to be the leader of our country. You want to buy something? Go to Walmart, Target, or wherever it is you go to spend what is left of your hard earned paycheck after Haliburton.....errr I mean Uncle Karl....errr I mean Uncle Sam get’s his cut. Otherwise, screw their stances, screw their values and beliefs. Just give me someone who understands what it means to run a competent, responsible, caring government.
The only problem is that in order to elect leaders to positions where their competence is even an issue of discussion, you have to win an election. Unfortunately, in our country, you don't win elections based on the merits of your plan, you win elections by convincing the electorate you are a better person than the other 'schmoe'. The only way that this happens, certainly since the advent of radio, and especially in the television age, is by marketing you and your 'ideas' as a brand so that the majority of folks who don't bother paying close attention to the day to day details think you are the right person for the job - whatever it may be. Politicians routinely break campaign promises, without consequence, if their 'brand' is strong enough.
In my opinion, running for office in the US is exactly like selling toilet paper. This is why so many millions (billions) of dollars are spent every election cycle. In an ideal world, ideas and policies would matter more, elections would only last a couple of weeks, there would be public financing of the top several candidates, the election results wouldn't be tied to the archaic electoral college, voter registration would be simple, election day would be a public holiday, yadda yadda yadda. That isn't the case.
Instead, elections are won/lost over a long stretch of time, including right now, and the party (out of the two corrupt choices available) who defines the agenda is usually triumphant. My dream is that the Democratic party gives up trying to be a less-mean version of the Republicans, and instead try to represent the 80-90% of us who have to work for a living.
This is what I mean, in my clumsy way, by 'having a message'. Instead though, I hear DLC pundits claim that the only way to win elections is by emulating Clinton's Sister Souljah moment, I read of Joe Biden's praise for John Roberts, I note that nobody in the Democratic party establishment has the balls to call for withdrawal from Iraq (where's our Senator Fullbright?), etc. etc. etc.
Honestly, I cannot consider myself a member of that party of sycophants known as the Democrats. Granted there are a few who are worth something, but there are too many who are not.
Tags: Advertising, /Politics, /Polls
