Changes in Politics and in the world

I read an interesting article today on world magazine's website (find the link here: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/ROMNEY_RELIGION?SITE=NCAGW&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT). The article talks about Mitt Romney's presidential campaign and how it seems to be run by his staffers more than by him personally. The author of the article notes several occasions in which Romney refused to address a particular situation or to give a speech on a specific topic because his advisors told him he better not.

Now, I'm not here to make comments on Romney as a person or a candidate. But the article did remind me of how complex our election processes have become. No longer does the candidate campaign on "the issues." No longer does he/she run based on his/her set of values or what he/she SAYS.

When Abraham Lincoln ran against Stephen Douglas about 150 years ago, the race was decided on what the candidates SAID. A series of debates was set up in which Douglas would speak first for ONE HOUR! Then Lincoln would reply for ONE HOUR AND A HALF! And then Douglas would get a final (paltry!) HALF HOUR to reply to Lincoln's reply.

On another occasion the two candidates debated for over 7 hours! Elections then were decided on the issues, on what the candidates SAID.

Today, elections are decided by what we see on the TV in short, well-crafted and well-constructed (air-brushed) cameos. Romney even has someone on his staff in charge of monitoring his IMAGE. In the debates we listen to on TV, each candidate gets only 1 1/2 to 3 minutes to speak on a given issue. Can you imagine the Lincoln-Douglas debates on TV today?

I guess my whole point, which could be developed in great detail, is that we are not making decisions today based upon what the candidates believe or what they SAY. We don't hear them enough to know what they believe or what they are saying. We make our decisions today based upon how we PERCEIVE the candidate, a perception which is ORCHESTRATED by the media and by staffers whose sole job is to construct and craft and manage his/her candidate's portrayed image.

Glitz and Glamour will win the day in today's election world. Gone (with the wind) are the days of knowing what the candidates actually believe and say.

C