2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: If HRC IS nominated, she will HAVE to get every Sanders voter behind her to win... [View all]Kentonio
(4,377 posts)I keep reading endless posts from people that fall over themselves to excuse every shortcoming in our candidates, and which describe any poor behavior as 'how the game is played'. Then when those candidates don't get enough votes, we say its because the electorate is lazy or dumb.
You could certainly make a case that people end up with the politicians they deserve because as the masses are so uninvolved with the political process, but it feels like the wrong way to look at it. The process has become so arcane and complicated, and the mechanics of election have become so shady and downright seedy that for most people its just not something they can understand or relate to on any level.
People need to feel like their leaders are aspirational and can provide hope for something better. If they don't get offered that promise, then they don't see any point in engaging with a system that they hate but don't see any potential for changing. When you need a billion dollars to become president, then why would a factory worker or soccer mom think they have any realistic hope of affecting how the game is played?