Sex and Gossip: Only Way to Hold Voter Interest?

FRIENDLY FIRE - Politicians are parsing. This is always a bad sign in that it means they are bobbing and weaving trying to fake the people into mistaking grammar for substance. Yes, we have entered the "meta-age" of politics where we waste our precious time talking about talk and debating definitions instead of seeking solutions.

If political pundits wonder at the alienation of so many voters and the mounting feelings of nausea, interrupted by bouts depression, driving many to threaten withdrawal from caring, the reasons should be clear.

Political analysis has fallen into two categories. We in the media do the horse race: Who won today? Who lost?

What will some clever or ill-chosen words mean in the polls tomorrow or in the election in November?

Alternatively we present political hacks to spin their side of the issue--each asserting without either humility or nuance that "I represent Truth, Justice and the American way and my (un)worthy opponent is probably the spawn of Satan with only a slight chance of simply being wrong."

After a short while, even the most hardened political junky gets overdosed with the bile and the vile lies. Even the most heartily cynical cannot accept the extreme spins and the inability of so-called experts to demonstrate a scintilla of understanding of the other side. We have become dizzy from the spin.

So while unemployment remains high, drones reign death from the skies on nations that are theoretically (but not factually) our allies, and while Europe teeters on the brink of economic collapse, seemingly serious people bicker about why a mandate is a penalty in Massachusetts but a tax when federally imposed.

Yes, we can make arguments for both sides but they are not important. They are the meta-issues that keep us from dealing with reality.

Oh, it could be worse, I suppose. We could be talking about Mayor Villaraigosa breaking up with girlfriend Lu Parker.

And I can't wait to begin writing about the November ballot measure mandating condoms in porn shoots in Los Angeles County.

With all the boring and disingenuous spinning, sex and gossip may be the only means of holding the voters' interest.

(Jonathan Dobrer is an op-ed contributor to the Daily News and Friendly Fire and is a syndicated columnist. This column was posted first at Friendly Fire.  More on Jonathan and his books at www.Dobrer.com) –cw

Tags: Jonathan Dobrer, tax, penalty, media, Mayor Villaraigosa, Lu Parker, LA County








CityWatch
Vol 10 Issue 55
Pub: July 10, 2012