Both Wordbones and HoCoRising are down on a TPI spokesperson (Ken Aldrich) for referring to voters as "fat, dumb and happy".
That is a common expression that was probably made off the cuff so I don't think it should be over analyzed, but I'll ignore my own advice and over analyze it anyway. I think this is just a crude way of saying that voters are rationally ignorant. Therefore, the "dumb" part is not applicable to voters, because the emphasis on "rationally ignorant" should be placed on the "rational". When you have a complex system in which it is costly to learn about the issues and your influence on those issues is so small, it does not make sense to pay attention. As a result, if you are a voter the smart thing to do is be uninformed because the costs of being informed exceeded the benefits. This is one of the well known problems of democracy (I know, we live in a republic. But it still has democratic elements.)
So while Mr. Aldrich fails in the marketing department, I think his statement is reflective of voting reality.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
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2 comments:
It's funny how when a person you agree with states a common expression that was probably made off the cuff, you don't think it should be over analyzed. However, you over analyze and frequently repeat every quote probably made off the cuff from people you don't agree with like HCPD, anyone in the Ulman admin., most Dems, etc.
Maybe reporters focus on trying to report those comments and steer clear of the most reasonable, well-thought-out comments because they don't grab the attention.
Maybe you should take all news stories that you have not fully researched with a grain of salt.
"Fat, dumb and happy" is a common figure of speech. When have I ever criticized Ulman or HCPD for making a similar common expression? I criticize these folks for their actions. In case of the HCPD that means I criticize them for shooting several family dogs during botched raids and beating the crap out of citizens. I have never criticized them for the verbiage they chose in a press release.
I don't give two hoots about Ken Aldrich or Republicans in general for that matter, and I certainly would not say that I often agree with Republicans. If you actually read this blog you will see that I attack Republicans as much as anyone else. I saw an element of truth in what Alrich said, although I disagreed with his marketing.
In most cases, especially with polished politicians, the exact opposite is true. The marketing is great, it's the reality based part that is lacking.
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