Martial arts and politics share many commonalities. They both should include self-control and respect. “A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.” – Bruce Lee. According to this Slate article, regarding the “timid” candidate may be doing more harm than good. In the past, passion usually equated winning when it comes to politics. In Chapter 8 of our textbook, the strategies and tactics of political campaigns are analyzed. The Slate article brings up a valid point that the internet is making viewpoints more reckless. Anonymity gives a false sense of security. If you want an example of this, just read the comments section! These new, mild political tactics will only increase polarization. The article decries the “cocoon” that some politicians are using. According to our textbook on page 169, “Every American can cite a list of desirable traits that make a ‘good’ president.” But these carefully constructed images of political candidates are false. They are manufactured. If a candidate takes the easy road and does not take a hard stance on an issue or tries to appear to appease, this will make him or her look weak and untrustworthy to some. Will ignoring issues make them go away? Should we start down a new political path of least resistance? We live in a world of immediate gratification and 24/7 news and real-time Twitter updates. Are “grand ideas” a thing of the past? Is the American public weary of candidates who promise but do not deliver on campaign slogans or ideologies? Maybe we should we chose our candidates based on what they do not say.
~Debbie
Debbie,
Your article and observation remind me of Denton and Kuypers’ argument on page 7, “Given that overwhelming majority of political speeches are time-bound, not timeless, it makes sense that we recall so few. Political communication is put together to be consumed, not savored.” As you stated, our society is concerned with the actors and their presentation; the candidate with the most memorable ads and theatrical events seem to be the ones the general public supports. It is very true that the management, strategies, tactics and execution of the candidate’s image and views are crucial to their success at persuading the American people for their vote; it is unfortunate that exorbitant amounts of money can buy most anything today.