George Will Thinks An Historic Shift Is Coming. I Hope He's Right

SEE HERE The Founders are no doubt spinning in their graves at the shenanigans that pass for politics these days. The sheer level of disinformation and finger-pointing and the lack of virtually any discourse that could be called reasoned or logical or even clear is a symptom of the decline in the public arena. I'm not sure who ought to shoulder the blame. Certainly television has elevated good looks, smooth talk, and sound bites to a level that trumps thoughtful reasoned discourse. Richard Nixon was more logical, more informed, and more convincing to radio listeners, but television highlighted his lack of makeup and five o'clock shadow which oddly was enough to make television watchers say he lost a debate that radio listeners thought he'd won handily. This trend has continued until nothing of substance can be said unless it can be expressed in a short slogan.

The republic has been paying a high price for this loss of sense and sensibility, the decline in principles and reasoned discourse, the substitution of spin for analysis and conclusions. We need a restoration, but it's hard to see how this can be more than a temporary phenomenon unless we start reforming the way we see and understand our elected representatives.