Tannishblog

Dave at Electablog posted a meme that has been circulating my cranium for two days. To wit:

There are two political Americas. One where the masses are trained by politicians and the media to scream at each other about every issue (even though we all agree on most things); and the other where big businesses and connected lobbyists fly leaders from both parties around the country in corporate jets because lobbyists are not out to cheer for one party or the other, they are out to get legislation passed.

When it comes to political power, these lobbying and business groups are cruising at 30,000 feet while we’re wrestling in a below sea level mud pit (and I don’t mean that in the good way).

Over the last several months, we’ve seen former Presidents Clinton and Bush travel together, spend time together and generally look like they’ve become pretty decent friends.

Isn’t that blasphemy in these political times? Two men from the two families whose feelings for each other are most emblematic of our national rage are actually, well, enjoying each other’s company?

Think of a political party as your favorite sports team and think of voters as rabid fans. Like in sports watching, we often hate the opponent more than we love our own team. I have yelled Dodgers Suck a whole lot more than I have yelled Go Giants (and I’ve yell the word Malt a lot more than either). When the game is over, you’d be surprised to see rabid fans from opposing cities rubbing elbows at a brew pub. That’s what sports sells. Allegiance to a brand.

But when the game ends, one wouldn’t be that surprised to see professional athletes from different teams hanging out and even becoming best friends. The stadium is empty. The show is over. This metaphor can be extended to politics. The show ends. Politicans get that, but we keep hating each other.

Too often, voters don’t realize that the endless and wanton attacks are part of the game. And in this environment, we always come out the losers. Why? Because as long as we are determined to hate each other because of political affiliation, we can’t come together to fight for the things that are in our common interest (the very notion that we even have a common interest has been all but obliterated). And that’s just where the lobbyists want us.

He’s right, you know. The real show goes on behind the public’s back, because that’s how it must be. Try convincing a quarter-billion people to agree on something of political consequence. Can’t be done; At most parties I have frequented, one can’t get half a dozen people to agree on which pizza to order. Politics can’t be accomplished through an absolute, all-inclusive committee. The trouble comes when our elected officials seem increasingly untrustworthy. This, I believe, is the crux of the common folk’s complaint. We are ill-equipped to babysit our representatives, and we’re a bit irritated at feeling the need to do so. The overall sense of helplessness indicative of the American populace is given respite by the Internet’s capacity to allow the shouting matches that create an illusion of empowerment. Too often we either loose sight of or willfully ignore that we are involved in an illusion.

I am ashamed at my ignorant willingness to be sucked into this mud pit. On a personal level, I hesitate to post on politics in the future. Then I remember an interesting quality regarding illusions: If enough people are willing to suspend reality to embrace the illusory, it becomes indistinguishable from reality. This is called Suspension of Disbelief, and it works. If enough bloggers feel we can nudge the recalcitrant rudder of society, then it can be done - this ship will turn even in the mud. And that gives me hope.

Pass me the mud pies.