just what we need
Actor Fred Thompson is said to be about to enter the race for the GOP nomination for the White House. I don't know much about the guy, I have seen him in a couple of movies, (I think), but that's about it. The New York Times, that bastion of commentary on all things political, (well, besides me), reports it in this blog entry.
I am not going to comment much, but I think that it says something about the way that the nation has evolved over the past century that media attention can be percieved as having substance, in almost any arena. FDR made very good use of the national media in mobilizing and shaping public opinion towards the nations economic health, the diplomatic situations in Europe and Japan, as well as his own political agenda. He had the luxury of being the trend setter, and as such, was a bit above the pandering fray. Since that time we have seen pol's and pundits of all stripes use (or not use) the media in differing ways, with different levels of success, but the common factor is that we have come to equate media exposure with some degree of significance or importance. Thanks to the omnipresent news gathering culture that we have, the truly important usually gets some exposure, (unless it is deliberately concealed), albeit sometimes between the lines as the saying goes. With that comes a great deal of exposure for the rest of the chaff that has little bearing on anything.
What we seem to be missing is critical thinking, and the ability to choose, often, between the lesser of two or more evils.
I am not going to comment much, but I think that it says something about the way that the nation has evolved over the past century that media attention can be percieved as having substance, in almost any arena. FDR made very good use of the national media in mobilizing and shaping public opinion towards the nations economic health, the diplomatic situations in Europe and Japan, as well as his own political agenda. He had the luxury of being the trend setter, and as such, was a bit above the pandering fray. Since that time we have seen pol's and pundits of all stripes use (or not use) the media in differing ways, with different levels of success, but the common factor is that we have come to equate media exposure with some degree of significance or importance. Thanks to the omnipresent news gathering culture that we have, the truly important usually gets some exposure, (unless it is deliberately concealed), albeit sometimes between the lines as the saying goes. With that comes a great deal of exposure for the rest of the chaff that has little bearing on anything.
What we seem to be missing is critical thinking, and the ability to choose, often, between the lesser of two or more evils.
posted by eccentric recluse at 9:14 AM
1 Comments:
I'm nearing 50.. and one thing that will always depress me; is pondering the list of presidents this country has had in my adult life..
Carter, Reagan, Bush-I, Clinton and Bush-II...
Is there one among them, truly presidential ? Could any of those men have built and run even a modest company from the ground up ? Did any of them inspire even 1/2 the pouplation and leave us feeling good that we went to sleep at night, while they ran the free world ?
Blind, party loyalty afforded the lot of them enough power to "get by" in the oval office... But I wouldn't have wanted any of them on a board of directors for a company I owned stock in.
Now.. look at the list of candidates staring us in the face. It aint getting any better.
Sadly... Fred just might be the most honest and level-headed of the bi-partisan lot. And for sure, he's the one least likely to trigger the blind hatred the losing party has seemed to thrive on, since the Clinton days.
I'm just glad I have no children, and am old enough that the country, as I know and love it, can't be ruined completely before I'm worm food. It might mean moving to a remote part of the government free, western half of Montana for my last decade or two.. Oh well *sigh*
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