People Who Debate Politics (Better Informed or Knowledge Fetish)

[lehighguy]

Recently a friend and mine came up with a bet. Niether of us would be aloud to read the NYTIMES, watch the news, etc. We were supposed to become as uninformed as possible. The reasons for which were thus:

1) We can't change anything. For all of the effort you guys put into debating, last time I checked Bush and Kerry didn't ask you for your advice, nor mine. Also, normal people don't have outlets through which to change peoples minds. We don't have TV shows or publications.

Moreover, I have begun to question if people really change thier political beliefs at all over short periods of time. Nearly every county in America voted exactly the same as it did in 2000. Despite enourmous changes that took place nothing changed in the electorate. It makes me believe that you can't change opinion on a large scale.

2) Even if you get your candidate elected, they usually don't follow your policies or even the policies they expressed during the campaign. Does the fact that I know alot about health care going to change Bush/Kerry healthcare policy. Will they even follow through with what they say that will do. The more specific you get (the more you know) the less likely it will matter to the politician.

3) Taking all this time to read about politics is a detriment to the rest of our lives. I could be reading HH right now and improving my game, so I can win more money, so I can get a car. But instead I'm making this post.

So for all those reasons we made the bet. Well I lost. I cracked in about 2 weeks. Same as when I went abroad and said I wouldn't get any news from America. But I did. It occurs to me that I really CRAVE the news/knowing stuff. Based on all of my experience it does nothing for me, but the stuff is like crack. It occurs to me that for others it is probably the same. So let me ask.

Are people that read the news and talk about politics alot:
A) Well informed citizens defending democracy
B) People with too much time on thier hands that do it for personal reasons and bother everyone else

[bholdr]

you raise some valid points, and some of those points are solid arguments for electoral reform in the U.S., but, given the choice between having no say whatsoever, and having very little say, i'll continue to take very little.


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last time I checked Bush and Kerry didn't ask you for your advice, nor mine.

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sure they did. last november.


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A) Well informed citizens defending democracy


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except for jaxmike. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[zaxx19]

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A) Well informed citizens defending democracy
B) People with too much time on thier hands that do it for personal reasons and bother everyone else


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A little bit of both I suppose...

I used to be a news junkie(before the election) but now I dont pay THAT much attention to it.

I think people who newswatch REALLY closely tend to overemphasize cetain things and also develope a myopic view of whats going on in the world.

e.g. Abu Ghraib. During Abu Ghraib it seemed like alot of people thought this was a huge deal and would really rock the administration or hamper efforts in Iraq; well here we are months later and I dont think it did either. Rummy still has his job(something inconceivable to alot of leftish media watchers at the height of the scandal) Bush got reelected, and Iraq(whether those here want to believe it or not) is going actually quite well for the administration.

I would also note Liberals TEND to be a little more interested in the minutia of the news and of politics and also TEND to be little bit near sighted when it comes to what is going on in the world.

Im sure people are gonna disagree with me on this and thats fine. Infact thats great bc that is what makes our country so great. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Dont sweat the details so much guys look at the broader picture.

[[censored]]

I simply follow polictics for the sport of it. I like to see my side win. I don't particularly care most of time whether they are right or wrong.

[jaxmike]

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A) Well informed citizens defending democracy


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except for jaxmike. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

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Can't beat me, so you keep insulting me. I feel so proud of myself to be such a threat to you that you have to resort to that tactic.

[jaxmike]

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I simply follow polictics for the sport of it. I like to see my side win. I don't particularly care most of time whether they are right or wrong.

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ROFLMAO! Great post.

[Broken Glass Can]

I follow politics like sports as well. I can tell you who won each of the last 45 Presidential elections. And who won had consequences for the evolution of this country.

I can't tell you who won many of the last 45 World Series or Super Bowls or even the WSOPs. Why? Because what lasting impact does this have to the country? Little. Its great for the fans and those personally involved, but it doesn't affect the evolution of the country.

And you have to play within the rules of the game. So, you elect people who you think will do the better job, knowing that you will disagree with them on some issues. But you stick with them rather than giving up, or going with the Third Party which may be right on the issue but will never get in office.

Politics is a lot more fun to watch and root for than sports.