Time to relax. Time to get back to life. The blasted U.S. Presidential campaign is past (though as I write this it’s not over). Two years after it began, I hope that every loudmouth partisan jerk on the Internet is finally ready to put it to a rest. Should I get my hopes up?
There’s a popular cartoon on the Internet (I can’t find it), but it puts my feelings well. It goes like this:
Normal person + Anonymity on the Internet = Flaming jerk.
Have you ever experienced something similar? Perhaps you’ve visited a local blog or maybe a comments section on a local newspaper. Suddenly, neighbors and friends are transformed. Emboldened by the anonymous shield of some moniker or handle, they start throwing monkey poo. Nasty comments, personal attacks, vindictiveness of the meanest sort, it all comes flying across the computer screen at the speed of anger.
Welcome to the political table of the 21st Century.
Of course, our rotting discourse isn’t anything new. Washington wasn’t President for two terms before the hate started to fly. Our big advantage is speed of delivery and broadness of audience. A century ago, your letter to the editor or one-page flyer might have gotten some attention and perhaps a rude comment. But reaction took longer back then and, because it was tied to an individual who signed his own name, you had to face your critics and stand by your “facts.”
Nastiness is nothing new on the American political scene. It’s not as bad as it was once, but it may seem so because far more people are involved and the information furiously flies at the speed of a vindictive electron. It will only get worse, but my hope is that for the next few weeks at least, it will lighten up on the political front.
Then again, I’ve been wrong before — and told so vociferously in many on-line forums!
Not only that, but campaigns feed that anger by having people participate in online comment threads or forums and defend their candidates. It’s effective but sickening. So much for the issues.
Comment by jamh51 — November 5, 2008 @ 11:38 am
Oh the relief. Obama was elected,(whether I’m happy about that yet I don’t know) and the whole thing is over. I hope he does a good job. Most importantly, the day after there were not more rallies at the university. Those young students who felt so proud and had such big heads because they chose to hop on the University band-wagon-for-Obama now have nothing ‘intelligent’ to say. I can breathe cleaner air because of it, and I can look at the view without the presence of not so subliminal messages about political parties. So I guess technology works for us on both sides. As soon as it’s over, there’s no more news and therefore we can stop hearing about it.
Comment by T.S. — November 8, 2008 @ 9:23 am
For me, the sad thing is that the Obama supporters appeared to celebrating an ending and not a beginning. That might skew the entire Obama presidency. While I do have high hopes for Mr. Obama, I recall what a wise man once told me, “The greater the expectations, the tougher the disappointment.” His supporters have set the bar quite high for our President Elect. I wish him well.
Comment by admin — November 8, 2008 @ 9:31 am