Who Really Cares About Exit Polls?
How obsession with partisan politics has damaged the American political system M. Harrison
It's election season, and so it's natural that the American political discussion is slavishly dedicated to random partisan foibles. Nancy Pelosi's wobbly resistance to her carnal desire to impeach President Bush as prospective Speaker of the House, the unsightly erosion of the Republicans' tacit claim of moral superiority by the decidedly unwholesome behavior of one of their congressmen, dual glittering examples of government corruption (Tom DeLay and William Jefferson), and Hillary Clinton's politically aggrandizing stratagems are all the hot topics in blogs, magazines and books.
But relentless partisan discussions of electoral issues are not confined to the run-up to elections, as some perhaps would like. Many of today's biggest bloggers constantly dedicate large swatches of year-round commentary to elections and the concomitant behavior of the parties. The Daily Kos, et al., lavishes expansive attention to elections of all sorts, and the necessary strategic steps to manipulate public opinion to enhance the Left's grip on political power. The Republicans, led by Hugh Hewitt, spend most of their time convincing themselves that despite their abject performance in office, the ineptitude and disunity of the Democrats will stave off a full partisan coup. Don't worry about the opinion polls, loyal Republicans are assured, the GOP has been out gerrymandering districts with impunity for the past decade, and it's now nearly impossible to vote them out of office. These techniques interest the blogosphere, politicians, and activists. And why not? Isn't politics, after all, simply about getting elected?
Certainly, concern for elections is indeed a natural civic interest. But there is also an obsession with partisan manipulation, and it is this more poisonous form of civic activism that is gaining a following. This fact is evidenced by the growing partisan polarization in America which pushes the country in a negative political direction.
The ideal discussion among pundits should be positive ideas for change, not the red/blue segmentation of society or what manipulations of language can affect a "bump" in the polls. This organization hopes to do its part to avoid partisan subjects as much as possible, focusing instead on the ideas that drive effective reform, promote individual freedom, and inspire economic growth. Not that such discussion makes us special; we rather hope everyone does it.
The current paucity of quality ideas in American politics has been commented on by various publications, including The Economist, Newsweek, and U.S. News & World Report. It is impossible to prove whether poor government performance follows a partisan civic/political society or vice versa, but there certainly seems to be a correlation. In fact, as brilliantly noted by William Niskanen, recent partisan offerings have been so appalling that America seems to benefit more from gridlock, simply because neither of the bumbling political machines can thus push through their worthless platforms of demagogic pastiche. Politics badly needs something new, and it's painfully apparent that it isn't coming from the brain trusts of the Democrats or Republicans.
It's the very reality of present day elections and public opinion that make such partisanship and partisan commentary foolish. Electoral strategy, after all, is merely the attempt to woo a voting public who, studies confirm, are politically ignorant and themselves are less than half of the citizens whose interests the political system is supposed to be defending. Most of these voters, elusive game of the partisan operatives, base their voting decisions on random single factors, such as superficial attraction or the last thing they heard their coworkers say on the subject. The fragility of public opinion is manifest. Unfortunately, the parties rely on it for their jobs. This sensitivity inspires both liberals and conservatives to react strangely, including constructing complementary Media Conspiracy theories (liberal: corporate controlled; conservative: distorted by bleeding-heart, partisan journalists), despite the fact most voters don't really pay attention to much news anyway.
The problem gets worse. Partisanship also tends to cause political interests to factionalize, which is the very damaging consequence of expansive government against which the Federalist Papers warned us. It also makes the political process become constrained by public opinion. The riots by reactionary French students incapable of grasping political reality demonstrate the proclivity of a change-averse public to delay progress when given the chance.
Those concerned for the direction of American government and society, hoping for something new, or merely looking for something to boycott, should help by abstaining from the partisan gossip. Political discussion should be about facts, ideas and proposals, not talking heads, politicians and their personal lives. Partisan blogs are indeed rather reminiscent of the National Enquirer, even in their apparent popularity and ubiquity. Aren't you embarrassed to read it?
The above work is the opinion of the author, and not necessarily that of the Prometheus Institute.
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