By Marty Richman
Now that the elections are over, do you feel as if you won or
lost? I can’t answer for myself because the elections are not over.
I’m composing this on Oct. 28, to be published sometime after
Election Day. I did that intentionally so I would not be accused of
having a terminal case of sour grapes if my issues lost or of being
boastful if my issues won. The only prediction I’m willing to make
is that my crystal ball will not work any better after the election
than it did several days in advance.
 As I’m writing, I have no idea how it all came out.
Now that the elections are over, do you feel as if you won or lost? I can’t answer for myself because the elections are not over. I’m composing this on Oct. 28, to be published sometime after Election Day. I did that intentionally so I would not be accused of having a terminal case of sour grapes if my issues lost or of being boastful if my issues won. The only prediction I’m willing to make is that my crystal ball will not work any better after the election than it did several days in advance. As I’m writing, I have no idea how it all came out.
At the risk of spoiling your good time, no matter who or what you supported at any level, I think you lost; but I lost too, even if I won, so we are comrades in arms. Everyone lost except those few political consultants and ad agencies that now have the promise of selling their talent for “winning” during the next campaign.
The reason we all lost is because we had a significant experience – a series of very expensive and hard-fought campaigns – and we were not enlightened. Think about it, what did you really learn about most candidates and issues that did not come off the pen or video editing machine of a hired gun honed by a focus group?
There’s a show on ESPN radio that has a neat little gimmick; every time they interview a subject who uses a hackneyed sports cliche, they ring a bell – “We’re taking it one game at a time” (ding); “It’s a game of inches (ding); “We knew what we had to do and went out and did it” (ding, ding, ding).
It’s really too bad we can’t have those bells implanted in those running for elected office. Then, when they start spewing the same old political cliches we can hear the serenade of the bells – “I’m investing in California’s students” (ding); “To compete successfully in the global economy of the 21st century…,” (ding); “I have a vision for the future” (ding, ding, ding). Is it possible that they have these grand ideas but never read the test scores?
This meaningless noise would not bother me if it did not serve to displace the real ideas that I know must exist inside most candidates or at least I fervently hope exists inside most candidates. The noise prevents the candidates or advocates from being specific. Far too many candidates believe in never being specific because lacking specificity there will be nothing to measure them against when they run for re-election.
If they say they’re going to improve the SAT scores of the local high school seniors by 15 points in 2 years or the standard of living by 3 percent and they don’t deliver, they can be sure that their opponent will not fail to mention it next time. However, if all they’re selling are vague comments on the “global economy of the 21st century” how can anyone weigh that?
The most serious problems with our political campaigns are that the lowest blow usually sets the tone and those who do not care about the issues are too often the deciding factor. Even though I did not run for office, I had my preferences and I found myself having to fight against the “I’ll get even” attitude when faced with what I considered dirty tactics, misrepresentations, and lies. I was able to stave off that urge to respond in kind most of the time, but I succumbed to the temptation once or twice. However, I’m going to forgive myself because I’m only human and I was passionate about my issues – my momentary lapses came from that passion.Â
On the other hand, I remain very concerned that so much of the public’s “information” was just canned baloney generated by political consultants, public relations specialists, and mail designers who were for sale to the highest bidder and don’t give a damn about any issue.
I don’t know how to combat this trend except to ask the public to think critically – be skeptical about all promises from all sides – it will serve you well. Think about your goals and how you can reach those goals in the real world. Slogans, signs, and mailers cannot solve a single problem, and the so-called “silver bullets” are the rarest of the rare. If those easy techniques worked, all our problems would have been solved long, long ago.
Marty Richman is a Hollister resident. He can be contacted at [email protected]
