This week’s list of “Ten Things You Dislike About Politics” came to me so quickly it was a bit disappointing, to be honest. But since “Super Tuesday” was held last week and it’s still primary season, politics has been front and center in many people’s minds lately. This list isn’t ranked; the order is mostly how things came to me.
- Ballot measures – These are really big in California elections. The primary ballot statewide had one race involving candidates and 9 initiatives, and some local ballots had even more propositions for the voters to decide. I think this is OK in theory, but why do we have representative government in the first place if we need to make the decisions ourselves?
- Endless campaigning – Not much work gets done because people start working on re-election six months after they get elected.
- Negative campaign ads – Why should I tell you what’s good about my candidacy when it’s easier to tell you what’s wrong with my opponent?
- Cynicism – This is a problem on all sides, to be honest…
- Exploiting divisions – This is a side effect of the negative campaigning, to some extent, but it also comes from over-simplifying the issues.
- Elections treated like sporting events – I’m talking about the whole horse-race metaphor here; the polling, the predictions, the odds-making.
- Personalities emphasized more than positions on the issues – I see this as another aspect of the over-simplification that I mentioned earlier.
- The Electoral College and winner-take-all primaries – The Electoral College in particular is a leftover vestige of a time when the population was less educated and informed about the candidates and the process. I think by now we’re (probably) capable of choosing our candidates and electing a President directly, do you?
- Partisanship – More oversimplification, this playing into the “us vs. them” dynamic. I’ve found that most people I’ve discussed politics with have more nuanced and varied views than can be summed up in a red state/blue state category scheme.
- Lobbyists and special interests – Well, maybe this is one reason we should have ballot measures after all.
So what do you dislike about politics? Or are you a political junkie who loves everything about them? Head over to Ten on Tuesday to see what the players there had to say, and add to the discussion here or on your own blog.
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#s 3 and 6!! Yes indeed!
What a terrific list. You really put some good thoughts on ‘paper’ here, and I really appreciate all you’ve shared.
Mine are posted too.
Great list! Hope you don’t mind, I had to stop in and read yours as inspiration for my own list. I just don’t have enough of my own thoughts sometimes… LOL
Hootin’ Anni – No pun intended, but your list is a hoot! Thanks for stopping by.
Sunfire – Glad to be of help :-).
OMG… Ballot measures in CA! I used to read EVERY ONE of the propositions in full and researched them before going to the polls. I wonder how many people do that and how many just say “hmmm… this summary sounds good”?
Dorid – Ballot measures are the main reason I vote permanent absentee – I need the extra time. 🙂
Loved your list, by the way – thanks for stopping by!
The thing that bothers me is the naivete of the public. At least people must be naive or political commercials would not be so inane and simplistic. Right?
Also the electoral college is a pain every single time.
Working Girl – I have to wonder, Karen; is it the naivete of the public, or the cynicism/contempt fot the public of the politicians (or their handlers/strategists, more likely)? That’s probably my own cynicism talking, though…
The Electoral College must go. It’s time.