White Noise

Political discourse in the 21st century is an odd thing. It seems that rational argument, and argument based on facts and accurate comparison of historical events, is something that has been lost somewhere along the way.

Godwin's Law, formulated in 1990 when Usenet groups first became popular, states that the longer an online discussion goes on, the more likely one of the participants will accuse another of being a Nazi (whether the accusation is warranted or not). A variation of this appears to be happening now in political discussion, although the length of the discussion appears to be immaterial to the first instance of the accusation.

Newt Gingrich said yesterday that President Obama is the most radical leader this country has ever had, a statement he made in response to the deal signed by the President and the Russian premier Dimitri Medvedev pledging to reduce our nuclear capacity by 30%. Leaving aside the pure absurdity of the statement for a moment, the fact that it is so hysterical in tone renders it absolutely useless to a broader, serious discussion of policy. Sadly, this is an increasingly common trend.

Let me say right now, I am an issues voter. I am not aligned with any political party and come down on different sides of the ideological fence on different questions. For example, I am a sincere believer in small(er) government (a traditionally right-wing stance), and at the same time just as staunch a supporter of reproductive rights for women. The two beliefs, in the 21st century on opposite sides of the ideological divide, are actually perfectly compatible; what could be more "big government" than telling people what they can and can't do with their own bodies?

What I am seeing in right-wing commentary right now is a lot of noise, and it's the noise that obfuscates the strands of accuracy in many (I can't, sadly, say 'all') arguments. On top of this, the Republicans are playing a very dangerous game with their historical comparisons. They lament with moist eyes the halcyon days of the Reagan administration (one can't help but think that somewhere in the works are bumper stickers that read 'WWRRD?'), whilst resolutely ignoring that Reagan was exactly aligned with Obama on deficit spending and reduction of nuclear capacity. One should always be careful when choosing one's heroes.

Whilst fringe voices make for much better soundbites, they do not decide elections. Independant voters are the key group in every election and if the Republican's want to win the next one, they need to provide a more considered communication strategy. I am not easily scared and don't respond well to being talked at. I don't like noise.