Here we go yet again! People gathered, tuned in, and logged on to the latest Republican Presidential Candidates debate. They, like me, had the expectation of listening to the presidential hopefuls discuss and debate the major issues and challenges facing our nation. And if we were lucky, maybe even some of the minor ones! What happened? THE POLITICS OF FOG, that's what happened. Instead of Iraq, Global Climate Change, HealthCare, Illegal Immigration, and the United States' plummeting international standing, we got the "Rudy and Mitt Show!" Both of them have mistakes in their past (and no doubt, present), both of them have questionable past associations, both of them have come in contact with illegal aliens in one way or another, and both of them WASTED our time reminding each other of those facts. Ok guys, listen up! Rudy, you got like shady security protection (and billing) while commiting adultery. Mitt, you got like "I'm for abortion rights to get elected," and "I'm against abortion rights to get elected." You're even, already!
The Media's response? Instead of headlining with "Rudy and Mitt waste our time...again!" they reported the "Rudy and Mitt Show." I looked to ABC, NBC, CBS, and PBS for excerps and analysis of the debate and received for my trouble shallow coverage of the squabble and it's lingering aftermath. Forgive me, but the polar ice caps and mountain glaciers are melting at an ever-accelerating rate. Illegal aliens working landscaping and adultery in high places is Not news to me. In my opinion, this is a classic instance of The Politics of Fog. Do not for a moment think this is limited to the Republican candidates and the Media.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Barak Obama are engaged in the Politics of Fog with the Media doing their part. What did her husband do/say in the 1990's? What did she do/say in the 1990's? Is he too young (the Constitution settled that already!). Should he have showed his foreign policy hand regarding Iran and Syria? On and on and on with this trivial pursuit. Meanwhile, the Body Politic sighs and braces itself for yet another typical election cycle complete with evasion on the major issues (or downright ignoring them), pandering to the base (which got U.S. into this mess in the first place), and the Politics of Fog. The problem with this approach is that if you keep barreling forward in a fog, you run the real risk of slamming into something solid and unforgiving, bursting into flames, and causing death and destruction. Focusing ON the fog distracts you from watching out for what's IN the fog- like real issues and real threats.
Just a thought...
