Election Years

[wolven7]

Okay, so I get that each major party does what is tellingly called "Going To Its Base"-- that is, engaging the most vociferous and frenzied of their constituents, as those are the ones most likely to vote, and to talk to others About Voting.

Now, the base of any party is usually comprised of various combinations of Single-Issue Voters (abortion, health care, taxes, defense, etc), but not always.

I get that they do it, and I get that they do it to win elections. But why?

I'm not being hyperbolic when I say that the habit of "Whipping up the Base(st Instincts of every damn voter)" is tearing the country apart. Has been since the 70's.

We call it talking about "values," but it's really just whitewashing the fact of divisive rhetoric.

Too tired to brain good, so let me make it simple: Framing Shit Like This Is What Is Destroying Americans' Ability To Have Civil Discourse: 'Santorum says Obama agenda not "based on Bible"'.

Somatic Responses - [U.D.T.]--- STOP IT.

[Edit: "If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself but to your own estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment." - Marcus Aurelius (via pearlfectchassi

Coil - [The Snow]--- Yes, universe, I see what you did there.)

Comments

[raoin.livejournal.com]

Santorum is driving me crazy.

and who really wants a president who was so disliked as a congressman that a grassroots movement managed to get his name made synonymous with something disgusting? do people really think that once he becomes president that will just go away?

but beyond that, my biggest problem is that it seems like lately every politician i listen to wants to make the conversation about religion... as in, instead of having a conversation about values, we're going to have a conversation about theology, BUT none of them have done their homework about their own theological frameworks, so mostly they're just hiding behind religion while making specious claims concerning their opponents.

i cannot deny that this nation was founded upon certain distinct VALUES... the ones which concern me most these days are contained under the heading "civil rights"... but i think our nation has forgotten the general reasoning behind the great migration of people towards america. i had to explain the other day why Rhode Island existed (since "it's so small, why is it even a state anyway?") and why the issue of states' rights is often such a lynch pin in the passing of legislation into enforceable law. instead of remembering the vast palate of values that moved people to found this country, people seem to be obcessed with JUST the religious element, and only then the "christian" element... which has changed in its form and function so greatly over the past 250 years that i doubt very much that those methodists, presbyterians, episcopals, quakers, baptists, or catholics would even recognize the religion being preached (much less practiced) by their "ideological" descendants.