Legal Commentary

The problem with normal

By Ernest Svenson

Just thought I'd let everyone know: I've officially stopped caring about the presidential campaign. There's no point, really. If the candidates have clear ideas about what policies they intend to pursue they're savvy enough to know to keep them out of public view. Take a clear position and the people who disagree with that view will use it against you. So the candidates don't give detailed accounts of their positions.

Why doesn't the press drill more deeply into the candidate's views?

Well, that's pretty obvious, isn't it? First, they make more money if they get more viewers/readers. People are more drawn to muckraking and scandal-mongering than sober analysis. Second, fact-checking and analysis are labor intensive undertakings. Inciting passions is not only profitable, it's also childishly simple.

And speaking of children, that's what most voters are like. The only question they ask is "what's in it for me?" If my job was lost to out-sourcing then globalism be damned; I'm for trade restrictions. If my life is guided by religious fundamentalism then I want Supreme Court justices chosen based solely on how they might rule on abortion issues, even if that is a miniscule part of the typical docket. If I fear terrorism then I want to hear more about Barack Obama attending a madrasa. Perhaps I have a more reasonable concern about terrorism. Well, then prefer a television ad about a leader answering phone calls at 3 am.

What are the qualifications that are most needed for someone to be the President? Are the majority of people really in any position to analyze this question?

A wise man once said: "People don't ask fundamental questions, or if they do they expect someone else to answer them." That pretty much sums up the situation. It's not a new phenomenon, by the way. It's been going on for so long that everyone accepts it as normal. Well, it is right? After all, the word 'normal' derives from 'norm.'

So, if this is normal count me out. I won't be voting, and I won't be watching the mad dash. I'll try to ask myself some fundamental questions. And I won't be looking to the 'normal' crowd to answer them.

Full post as published by Ernie the Attorney on April 22, 2008 (boomark / email).