Re: Barbara Walters -- American Badass
 

All this kind of raises the question: who's most to blame? The candidate? Or the electorate?

The huge numbers of ordinary voters who respond to this type of campaigning? Or the candidate who simply accepts that reality?

The only thing that I keep coming back to in my head is the importance of education in any democracy. Not just of an informed public, but of a public that knows how to think. One with an awareness of the value in resisting the urge to respond from the gut, from fear and from ignorance. One in which intelligence is not seen as a bad thing.

Until we (any nation) reach that point, we'll always have this kind of politics, and the kind of dumbass news media that further encourages it.

Re: Barbara Walters -- American Badass
 

I think both are to blame, but I'm more troubled by the way the electorate responds positively to the negative campaigning. McCain is just one man, but there are huge numbers of these raging morons out there that could play a direct role in my life at any moment.

Re: Barbara Walters -- American Badass
 

Agreeing with Sean here, both sides are to blame for this kind of situation, with a larger portion of the blame resting on the electorate's shoulders. Because we (and I mean the participating members of this particular forum - I can't speak for anyone else) have taken the time and the initiative to learn about the way our governments work. We sift through the PR and the sensationalism and the partisanship. It can be done. The government doesn't help, but why should it? It's byzantine and boring by design, because they know we're a society based on instant gratification and seconds-long attention spans. They don't have to hide much of anything, because the citizenry is way too lazy or distracted to look for it anyway.

The effectiveness of education is directly proportional to an individual's desire to be educated. No amount of civics, economic, or poli-sci classes are going to help a society so concerned with Lauren Conrad that they'd be willing to read a book by her:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080912/...Q0f4sGi71xFb8C

I'm going to mutate a favorite saying of mine and say, "Democracy would be great if it wasn't for the people."

Re: Barbara Walters -- American Badass
 

I agree with both of you. (And let's introduce IQ tests for anyone who wants to cast a vote ;) )

More McCain news...

Karl Rove said this morning that John McCain's attacks against Barack Obama have stretched the truth. Appearing on "Fox News Sunday," Rove said McCain had "gone one step too far, and sort of attributing to Obama things that are, you know, beyond the 100 percent truth test.”

Rove said that.

Rove.

:eek:

And this made me laugh (though it's admittedly poor form)....

McCain Lured Into Looking Like a Monster

http://i35.tinypic.com/ok7kug.jpg

Greenberg said of the actual cover portrait, "I left his eyes red and his skin looking bad."

Meee-OW!