Voting in a Presidential Election is Not Like Picking a Date for the Prom

It is time to end childish thinking about politics: picking a President is not about who you "like," whatever "liking" would even mean

In daily life I take as many opportunities as possible to talk about politics and, as with the present, elections and candidates. Knowingly and light-heartedly overstating the case, I ask, “What else is the public square for, save for some transactions for essential items?” I notice many people, especially women, responding to the topic of the U.S. Presidential election in terms of “liking.” Thus, one might hear: “I like Kamala Harris,” or alternatively, “I will wait to decide, I do not like either.”

Figure 1. The Main Stream Medium (now especially in its consolidated, top-down form) with unapologetic brazenness, can present one candidate as a warm and lovable, and vilify the other as a prehistoric monster. An unreflective, undiscerning public is easily manipulated—not so much by the demagoguery of the candidate, but by the Bernaysian, propagandistic power of the Medium having become messager, message and the role-playing recipient who demonstrates for the public the “acceptable and approved” way for them to respond.

When I hear people speak in these emotional terms, I realize that I am not speaking with a serious person. Choosing a person for any political office is not a popularity contest, though the oligarchs who attempt to influence or steer nations, cultures and events would certainly be delighted if the behavior of voters can to be reduced to such a superficial level. It makes their job much easier in selecting adequate inputs in order to achieve their desired outputs.

Voting should not be a “consumer choice.” You are not purchasing a box of corn flakes.

Picking a candidate should not be a matter of satisfying a preference for which there is no accounting—like a matter of taste. Increasingly, I am adopting a Platonic view of Mankind, that is, there are different qualities of humans, and most are not capable of understanding what is at stake. These people do not even understand that they do not understand. They see everything as a racial, sexual, or class struggle. Grouping for power is a strategy that does, in fact, provide temporary advantages. Individually or collectively—however—the majority of people are not capable of state craft or the burdens of nobility. Unfortunately, far too many of those pretending to be politicians, statesman, nobles, aristocrats--or their post-modern representations thereof--aren’t either: they are pretenders.

Try to prove for yourself that you can be a voter with intelligence. Examine the details. Avoid retreating into thought bubbles where you “feel” safe. Challenge yourself and let yourself be challenged by uncomfortable viewpoints. Learn the methods for reasonably weighing competing claims.