'Mitt Romney this .. Obama that'. The endless streaming of tv ads, part of the current presidential campaign hit hard. They
are everywhere, all the time, and it is impossible to hide. At first, I embraced it. I am on the front row, able to follow the
campaign through domestic news and get carried away by the excitement, nervousness, and anxiety shared by voters at
this time. I easily get swept away, finding myself cursing after some statements, cheering after others. But after a while, I
stop listening. Simply because there is little worth listening to. When you realize that what should be a political campaign
is full of everything besides politics, something is wrong. 

 

A recently published news article tells us that over 90% of the content in these ads consist of pure trash-talking (link). So ultimately, millions of dollars are spent on creating one-minute ads lacking actual substance. It is entertainment, for sure. But entertainment starts to taste bitter when it is used as a distraction from actual debate. This is not an issue confined to times of political campaigns and elections. It seems to be part of everyday politics these days. In order to gain attention, support, and money, you need to be entertaining.

 

Politics has turned into show business. This is not a reflection of a democratic political process. If it was, it would concentrate on relevant questions, principles, beliefs, and facts. It would seek to initiate public debate and close the gap between the average voter and the politican. Instead, it kills it. By making people less interested, less prone to actually listen and learn something.

 

And in the end, less willing to vote. 

 

 

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