Bob Lord Posted by Bob Lord I'll sandwich my modest prediction in between the two hard truths. First hard truth: This still is a very racist country. In an election between a black centrist and a bald faced shape shifting liar, it's neck and neck. If Obama were white, this would be a landslide, We wouldn't even … Read more
Posted by Bob Lord I always marvel at how people point to the political center as if it's the center of wisdom. Often, they think they're making an incredibly astute observation when they point out that "most voters are centrists." Doh. Voters always will fall onto a bell shaped curve, with most clustered around the … Read more
Posted by Bob Lord This post is the last in my three part series. It adopts the perspective that the great majority of voters are functionally illiterate, while assuming there is a real difference between the two choices. My own view is somewhere between this view and that of Chris Hedges, described here, but perhaps … Read more
Posted by Bob Lord I decided to make my last post into a three part series, viewing the election through a different lens in each part. In that post, I explained the three possible perspectives from which to view elections: There are at least three perspectives from which to look at elections. One is the … Read more
Posted by Bob Lord
First, some context. There are at least three perspectives from which to look at elections. One is the Chris Hedges view, which holds that elections are a sham and that corporate America will control no matter who is elected. Another is that elections do matter, but that the majority of voters are functionally illiterate at this point, such that their votes are as likely to be opposed to their own interest as in their own interest. The last is that elections matter, and that the majority of voters make decisions they belive are in their best interest. Although I fear Chris Hedges is correct in his view, this post is written from the most hopeful perspective — that some modicum of reason motivates voters and that there is at least some difference between the parties.
Obviously, the one percent can't win elections with just their own votes. Even with election fraud and the systematic disenfranchisement of minorities, they can only leverage their own votes so far. Throw in the gun nuts, the bible thumpers, the racists and the gay haters, and they still fall a good bit short of an electoral majority everywhere but the South. The constituency they need to get past 50% is what I call the Wanna Be Richies. Most of us have some desire to better our financial position, but that doesn't make us Wanna Be Richies (WBRs). WBRs share an aspiration to great wealth so strong that they think (and vote) as if they are truly rich. Incredible as it may seem, there are 40 year-old plumbers out there who vote Republican because they hope to own their own wildly successful plumbing business one day and don't want their kids to be faced with a "death tax." Unfortunately, the voting pattern of WBRs borders on the irrational, and is allowing the truly rich to pummel the rest of us with policies that are inflicting increasing misery on the masses.
Situationally, WBRs are akin to school age athletes. Whether it's golf, tennis, basketball or any other sport, the chances of making it to the top are slim. You can go to a playground in Houston and find hundreds of guys who are 99.99% as talented as the NBA stars who make millions. In golf, you can find guys (and gals) who actually are more talented than the touring pros, but don't quite have the mental toughness to make it. For every successful PGA tour player, there are hundreds of highly talented golfers who didn't quite make it. The odds are barely better for Wanna Be Richies. In the Republican version of the American Dream, you can rise from ordinary circumstances, build a business, and amass great wealth. In reality, for every success story you heard about at the Republican convention, there are many, many failures.