A truly terrible day, IMO.

(Again, my apologies for my delay -- it's a busy time of year).

I remember reading in a book, w:The Selling of the President 1968, in which the argument was made (and I'm more than inclined to agree) that the physical qualities and charismatic abilities of a candidate are almost a sole determinant of his/her success, and that ideology is a sole determining factor in only a very small portion of the population. And that was in 1968. The correlation, I think, is more pronounced now than ever. Now, that's not to say that this applies to every candidate. Negative press and its effect on poll numbers, and a systematic inability to effectively communicate views can be the downfall of any candidate. That said, I couldn't agree more with your argument that the political system of campaigns and elections has evolved to a point where those participating can, time and again, make things up without even realizing they're doing it. It sounds almost Orwell-esque, which highlights the, as you put it, "harrowing" state of affairs. This leads me to believe (and I suspect you might agree) that the media obsession with soundbites is due in large part to the obtuse (in my opinion) response of the public. Call me cynical, but I couldn't help but notice the striking similarities between the 2012 U.S. presidential campaign and one of those reality television talent shows that populate the prime-time airwaves. I follow one closely and have no interest in the other, but yet both feed into this sense of superficiality (it sounds very cynical, I know) that seems to be promoted by popular culture and the media. I guess what I'm saying is that the focus on the delivery of an ideology (and, hence, charisma), rather than the ideology itself is due in large part to the media and, thus, the public (because of the public response it seems to get when a seemingly minor gaffe is relentlessly publicized). To be more specific, I don't think most Republicans make a distinction of "legitimate" and "illegitimate" rape or believe that the female reproductive system "shuts down" in the case of rape. But, because of Todd Akin, a good portion of the public believe otherwise.

The lesson from this discussion seems to be that the world of politics has been absorbed by popular culture and, as a result, candidates are often focusing on showboating and generating memorable soundbites instead of effectively communicating a vision. What I mean is this: a heated televised debate full of soundbites (and, subsequently, lies) between candidates is inherently more interesting to the public than the details of a budget proposal. Because of that fact alone, a substantial portion of the media focuses on the former. And, as long as that progression continues (I think it well), the pattern will only become more and more ingrained in our culture. As dystopian or cynical as it sounds, we're becoming more superficial as a society and we don't even realize it.

I too am very busy. I'm enjoying this leisurely, thoughtful discussion. There's a good chance it'll be a while before I have time to give your latest remark, above, the careful reading it deserves. I'm also aware that this discussion is motivating me to articulate a thought I've been developing for many years but don't yet know how to express well, and I need to give that further thought too. I mean to give a proper reply here; I just don't know whether it'll be today, later this week, or (eying the calendar) next year.