When it comes to politics, Americans seem to have an inability to see through the wool of politicians.
When George W. Bush stands in front of a gigantic American flag or when Barrack Obama stands behind a podium bearing the words “Change” or “Hope” in large letters, we catch ourselves taking all those good feelings we have for the American flag or the idea of change and hope and we unconsciously associate them with the one who stands beside them. In politics they call this transfer and it as truthful as any other illusion. Not only do these images and the ideas they convey transfer to the man or woman associated with them, but any policies the person in question is pushing that week pick up those good vibes as well. So whether you are for Bush’s tax cuts or Obama’s tax relief system, you take what you like or dislike about these men and you associate it with their course of action.
Transfer is not only exploited visually, but linguistically. Take for instance Bush’s tax cuts and Obama’s plan for tax relief. Early on in the Obama campaign there was not a substantive difference between Obama’s tax plan and President Bush’s tax plan. Some would say that there is no difference at all. That being the case, why doesn’t Obama just use the same wording the Bush administration used? Because Obama cannot in anyway associate himself with Bush let alone tell the American public that he wants to use the same method of taxation. To avoid this he doesn’t change the policy; he changes his choice of words.
While Obama mixes up the language, the Bush administration has pulled off just as much. If you look at Bush, you see a man that speaks the language of the common man; you see a guy collecting brush at his ranch in Texas; you see a guy who looks a lot like John Wayne to me. What you do not see is a man from a staggeringly rich family, a former Harvard cheerleader, or a cousin to the queen. You do not see this because you are not supposed to. The method is referred to as “plain folks” and John Stewart uses it every night on his program when he claims that he rides the subway with everyone else. They separate themselves from their large and expensive cars to bring themselves down to our level. We grab onto it hook line and sinker because we want to believe that we are just like this week’s most popular celebrity, politician, etc.
Isn’t it time we learned to look beyond what the majority has accepted as the unvarnished truth? When we observe politicians, we need to do so offensively. That means getting past the image portrayed by savvy politicians and their handlers. We have to search and make the effort to know whom these people really are and are not. If we will make the effort, then perhaps we can fix our broken political machine and bring politics to a new high. We have to let these politicians know that we are smarter than their crafty ad campaigns. We have to let them know we are tired of rooting through ambiguous drivel. We need specific answers to our specific questions and we need them now more than ever.