If you’re one of the ones who simply can’t wait for 2020 because you think it’ll finally be the end of the likes of Donald Trump, think again. The dignified process of presidential selection is dead. Prepare yourselves for everything from reality TV stars to rappers as future presidents of the United States.
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The America that elected Lincoln, or Kennedy, or Reagan, or even Obama is dwindling. Americans are becoming either too stupid or too lazy to bother with learning the facts. In an era of modern technology and instant gratification, they’d rather go online and be told what they want to hear rather than investigate the issues for themselves. By doing so, the America of our immediate future would much rather select a president the same way they select the winner of American Idol: by popularity. The person they like the most (or, tells them what they want to hear and ties it all up into a simple and uncomplicated little package) and the person who doesn’t make them have to think too much is the person they will want as their presidential leader.
Let’s face it, the American attention span during a year and a half long presidential primary and general election is just not there the way it used to be. Today’s generation frankly doesn’t have the patience or desire to have to think that long. In the words of Andrew Cline of USA Today: “Sober, calm and judicious leadership is out. Loud, obnoxious and incessant leadership is now in. The social dynamics of the nursery are governing our political discourse.”
Or, to put it more concisely, Donald Trump and his ilk is the wave of our future.
Now, let’s review the reasons.
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Americans love reality television shows — but why? The reason is that they ALL follow the same formula: infighting and drama. No matter if the show premise is built around housewives, or a beauty shop, or married doctors, or a mob family, if there’s violence and fighting and other miscellaneous drama, Americans want to see it. Sadly, that same appetite for the abnormal has found its way into presidential politics. And sadly, it’s that “trailer park” mentality that Donald Trump wisely tapped into and rode all the way to The White House.
Trump ran for president on a shoestring budget. However, he conned the media into millions of dollars of free advertisement by simply sticking to his roots as a reality television star. Trump provided violence and fighting and other miscellaneous drama on a daily basis that hooked the American public like a crack cocaine habit. They simply couldn’t get enough. Realizing how drunk the people had become over “The Donald,” the media acted as drug pushers and kept providing us more and more and more. After all, it tuned viewers into their networks and put cash in their pockets.
Well, that wasn’t just a one-time thing. Pandora’s box has been opened and it may never close again. The decision by Paul Ryan — an old guard of conventional politics — to not only quit his post as Speaker of the House (3rd in line to the presidency) but to also quit Congress and politics altogether is more than just a tell-tale sign.
The theory of decorum and preparedness and experience and intelligence in presidential politics is dead. The culture of celebrities and reality television drama and flamboyant figures who breathe life and money into political campaigns is our new tomorrow.
Perhaps we should all join Paul Ryan and accept it.
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Outstanding post DJ and (once again) a very much needed topic that,IMO, we (ALL sane and reasonable Americans) should feel compelled to discuss. WE are in deep doo-doo and WE must be willing to acknowledge that disturbing very sad Truth. Your entire post correctly lays out WHERE we are as a nation and WHO we’ve become as a people. Your 2nd and 3rd paragraphs, in particular, really nails it. And DJ, if may borrow a thought from you with just a slight variation: The theory of decorum and preparedness and experience and intelligence and civility, in most segments of American society…including presidential politics…is dead. There’s lots of blame to go around on all sides of Our political spectrum. The veritable sh*tstorm We now find ourselves being tossed about within didn’t develop under Trump. He, being a man of no apparent morals, standards or principles, simply rode its destructive waves to… Read more »