Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Adjusting

I very much get the sense of injustice that Democrats feel watching Bloomberg force his way into the race with his money and power. It is reasonable to object to unfairness. But there are also objections because the other candidates will have to adjust so quickly for the next debate. I don't have much sympathy for that.  We are interviewing them for a job where they might have to adjust to an act of war or a natural disaster in less than an hour, in the face of distracting criticism from public media sources.

It speaks to the artificiality and narcissism of politicians (and I am not in the least exempting Republicans from this criticism) that causes them to view events through the prism of what is good for their political chances, not what is good for the nation and world.  When one of them tells you "this is the most important election of your lifetime," what it likely means is that it is the most important election of their lifetime. National and world events are just pieces on the playing board of DC power to them. Most standard media sources see the world this way as well.  I think the conservative sources are less guilty of this, but that may be because they are newer and less bought in to this world-view than the legacy media.  They might be catching up quickly, as power and influence come to them as well. Apparently those are quite delicious.

4 comments:

Aggie said...

I'm getting more exquisite enjoyment than I should do, watching the Democratic Party ooze and squirm its way into cheating Bernie out of the Presidential Nomination a second time, up past the point of ad hoc last minutes rules changes and completely reversing themselves on what were formerly passionate platform positions. They have become their own satire.

Aggie said...

I don't know if anybody remembers Pat Paulsen and his Presidential runs, but it's gotten ridiculous enough that Saturday Night Live ought to field a candidate. They could get some great mileage out of it, if they did it in an under-stated Titania McGrath kind of way. If I recall correctly, Pat Paulsen got quite a few write-in votes.

Assistant Village Idiot said...

They won't.

Sam L. said...

I remember Pat. I was watching his speech, looked away, and when I looked up he was in a Nazi-type uniform.