The Errors Of Political Discourse

"For the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses." - Juvenal

Every election season, those of us who are steeped in politics and the political machine make an error. I've done it, we all continue to do it. We assume that everyone pays as close attention to politics as we do. That is simply not the case.

It does make sense if you think about it. There is never an election with 100% turnout. There probably never will be. Even with the as high profile as the last three presidential elections have been, the highest turnout was in 2008 at just over 57%. Even with the record 138.8 million votes cast in 2016, that only accounted for 55% of the voting age citizens in this country.

Truth be told, we political wonks probably only make up 15-20% of the country. A vast majority of people simply do not care, for one reason or another, until right before a major election. Trade deals, international relations, and negotiations between the executive and legislative branches just don't interest them at all. I understand that. There are times when I get frustrated to the point of cutting myself off from it. After three days I come back because that is who I am, but I understand the feeling many people have.

What is my point, you ask? It is simply this; we, whether we wish to or not, contribute to the disinterest of the general population. We add to the toxic atmosphere that they try to avoid. Every time we lash out at someone for their choice instead of trying to engage in a healthy discussion, we add to the problem. During the 2016 primary and general election cycle, a then co-worker of mine and I often, almost daily, had political discussions. Politically we could not have been farther apart. We were not likely to change each other's minds, but that didn't stop us from having many political talks. Some of those discussions were quite passionate, but it wasn't out of anger...it was fueled by our commitment to our beliefs. Most of the time we ended with a joke and always with, "To be continued." We lost him on July 6th, 2017 to a sudden, unexpected heart attack. I never got a chance to thank him. Through our discussions, I was able to refine my political position and was able to better articulate it.

That's the key. The odds of us changing minds is small, but the passionate discussions are not about that. It is about learning more about yourself and finding common ground. None of that is possible if you immediately go on the offensive as soon as someone questions you. Answering the question isn't always about converting the questioner.

Thanks Ron. You did more to sharpen my convictions than any amount of news reports or talk radio ever did.

To be continued...