Poli-ticks

The blind are leading the blind

By Arlene Violet
Posted 9/29/16

Dozens of times during the past 30 days I have spoken with supporters of either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. What amazes me is the blind allegiance each camp has to its candidate. Regardless of …

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Poli-ticks

The blind are leading the blind

Posted

Dozens of times during the past 30 days I have spoken with supporters of either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. What amazes me is the blind allegiance each camp has to its candidate. Regardless of whatever negative stories percolate, the respective supporter writes it off as a fiction created by the media.

In trying to fathom why there is such loyalty and disregard of facts, I came across an article in the September 4, 2016 edition of New York Magazine about football. The comparisons between the fan acceptance of that game and politics were striking.

“Tell the truth", Will Smith screamed at the fictionalized NFL brass and team physicians in the movie “Concussion”, the theme of which was the cover-up of the reality that the game kills its players. The American TV watchers have listened to all the arguments about the immorality and dangers of football and they have responded by watching…more football, as writer Will Lettich, correctly observes. Four of the top ten rated shows in 2014-15 were NFL-related; the seven most watched U.S. television broadcasts of all time are the last seven Super Bowls. Despite dire predictions of the sport’s demise, the scandals of wife or child-beating, the overwhelming number of players who are not just pros but also cons — as in convicts — football trudges on. The NFL threw a dwarfed settlement to pay head injury damage for past players so folks glommed onto the fact that football is ok. No matter how many times the media has run stories about the mayhem wrought by the games, the public nonetheless remains glued to the boob tube, wearing the team colors as the teams inflict bodily harm on each other.

Isn’t this exactly the same picture as this presidential race? No matter what damning character flaw is revealed or lie exposed the partisans are more likely to blame the media for publishing such a negative story than to hold the candidate accountable. In fact, Donald Trump has the temerity to cry “foul” against the “biased media” —despite the reality that the stories are true.

What does that bode for the country? Already it is disgraceful that Hillary and Donald are the standard bearers of the two largest political parties. One of them will be elected, thereby making history that this country chose as the leader of the free world someone who has little acquaintance with the truth. Both of them are masters of deceit without a semblance of transparency.

I wonder about the standards being set for children. The overarching message they are getting is that you can dissemble, hide, and bully your way into the top spot. The loser is the person who did the least of it. Such are the lessons for the future political leaders and scions of industry. Good parents will certainly be loath to have their children even run for office, serpent-like as it is, just like many parents today don’t want their kids playing football while they personally watch the game.

The stakes, of course, are much higher when narcissistic people run a country. Folks used to comfort themselves that nothing tyrannical will happen in the U.S. because the people won’t allow it. Yet, today they can’t even see the problems, so partisan are they.

Arlene Violet is an attorney and former Rhode Island Attorney General.

Arlene Violet

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