Wading Through Muck/Live It!

No, I'm not talking about an episode of "Dirty Jobs."

Although, covering the job of a presidential campaign manager would probably make a pretty good series on this popular cable reality show about the dirtiest jobs. Oh, reality show. That could be an issue. I mean, how can you tell what's real in an election anymore?

So, what are we to do? Awhile back, I came to a personal conclusion about elections: I needed to stop being lazy. I needed to get better informed. And I needed to quit expecting to be entertained. I'll take them in reverse order:

• Stop seeking entertainment. Our brains can't possibly take in all the impressions that this media-rich world brings our way. So, we throw up shields to avoid the deluge. Therefore, the communications have to become more clever in order to "break through" the filters in our minds. They entertain us. We need to understand that just because something is entertaining doesn't make it right. Be discerning. And for goodness sake, be discriminating. Just because something is funny, doesn't mean it's good for you. Evaluate and eliminate.


• Getting better informed. I'm amazed at how many people make a political decision based solely on emotion. Feeling strongly about something (or someone) is fine. But feelings should be informed in order to be validated. Counting on the candidates alone is a poor strategy. Unfortunately, you can't count on the news media for unbiased information either. Learn to recognized carefully crafted talking points. They are designed to create impressions rather than inform. Search out non-partisan organizations that develop voter's guides in your area. They aren't very entertaining; but you'll get the clearest picture of each candidate's views on the same issues.


• Lazy won't get the job done. If all this sounds like work, it's because it is. I'm a bit of a news hound, so it's somewhat like a hobby for me. I start paying attention to elections six months or so in advance. By the time the election roles around, I've marked my voter guide with my choices for candidates and initiatives. All I have to do is transfer those choices to the ballot (and now that ballots can be mailed, voting is a whole lot easier).

Can you tell I take voting seriously? Look at it this way: Right at 50% of the adults in this country determine what direction we all take. Does the other half just not care. Are they not disciplined enough to participate. Or are they just too busy to get involved?

It's a free country. But, as you've seen on a bumper sticker, insuring freedom isn't free. Make sure you register to vote this November, study the candidates and issues, and vote your conscience. Ignore the cynicism of the day and make your founding fathers proud.

Wading Through Muck/Go Deep

I was a rookie in the advertising field when negative advertising hit the fast food scene big time.

Working for a local McDonald's co-op was a challenge in those days with up-and-coming Burger King and Wendy's as competition.

Imagine in the board rooms of corporate BK and Wendy's as the Executive VPs of Marketing made their cases for negative advertising: "McDonald's is number one...we have to erode their market share...we have to differentiate our product from theirs...let's go negative."

So rather than saying, "Our burgers are bigger," Wendy's came out with the humorous classic, "Where's the beef!" Instead of touting their burgers' great taste, Burger King blasted the air waves with "fried versus flame broiled." Both were accompanied with exaggerated parodies of the actual McDonald's product.

The negative, sarcastic approaches seemed to fit the cynicism of the day--the days following the end of the Vietnam War and Nixon in the White House. There was a certain segment of society that really liked the attitude. They were the same folks that enjoyed the sniping political humor delivered in the Doonesbury comic strip.

And later, the wise-cracking commentary on Saturday Night Live about Ford's clumsiness and Reagan's old age. And later still, the left-leaning, late night barbs of David Letterman. And even later, the biting, right-leaning volleys of Rush Limbaugh against the left in this country. I could go on.

Do you see the trend? No doubt a majority of our voting-age population has been exposed to years of negative argument that is low on accurate information and high on sarcasm. We've rewarded the approach with high ratings. We've validated it by supporting its sponsors with our buying power.

It's no wonder that we've seen a proliferation of the tactic in virtually every aspect of culture. This is a general statement, but I fear there is much truth in it: we've become lazy, ill-informed and we demand to be entertained. Which also means we can be fooled and easily spooked by half-truths and shallow accusations.

I'm on my soap box, I know. Just be glad you're not around when I talk back to the television set. So, where do we go from here? Let's wrap up the week with that conversation.

Wading Through Muck/Think About It

We're thick into the "hip-deep in sludge" season--election time, that is.

You would think most Americans would gladly exercise their hard-fought right to vote for the candidate of their choice in local, state and especially national elections. Yet, voter turnout in this country is lousy.

Statistics I just reviewed from the Federal Election Commission indicate that only 43.6% of the voter-age population actually pulled the lever in the 2006 elections. That statistic goes up in presidential election years, especially when the contests are high-interest. During the 2004 presidential race, 55.3% of eligible voters cast a ballot.

I still consider that pitiful. But is it any wonder people are fed up with the process of electing our national leaders. Instead of informing citizens of their credentials and exciting voters with their proposed solutions to major national problems, candidates barrage their opponents with negative advertising.

Apparently, it's a more effective strategy in today's world to scare people off your opponent than it is to win them over to yourself. What is the impact of all this negative political talk? In a word, cynicism.

Life is way too busy to spend time trying to wade through all the misinformation being disseminated by candidates and their surrogates. (Indeed, the primary qualification for being a campaign manager must be a poker face. Watching them spin the facts is like watching a late-night reprise of the Exorcist.)

Is it any wonder that close to half the voter-age population tune out and opt to, what, wash their car, organize their tool box, clean up after the dog? Something productive. (See, cynicism.)

I don't think I'm telling you anything you don't already know. So here's a question to ponder: How much of what the candidates peddle is our fault? Think about it, and we'll talk mid-week.