FAIR AND BIASED: Caricatures, distortions, and exaggerations are now the norm in politics!

Sunday, June 30, 2024

Caricatures, distortions, and exaggerations are now the norm in politics!

Weekly Opinion Editorial

MUMBLES

by Steve Fair

Mumbles was one of the featured villains in the Dick Tracy comic strip. He was a con artist and had a voice that was completely incomprehensible. Mumbles made an appearance on Thursday evening at the presidential debate and it wasn’t pretty.

President Joe Biden and former President Donald took the stage for the first debate of 2024. It was the earliest general election debate ever. Most election cycles the debates are in the Fall and much closer to the election. Thursday’s event was held in Atlanta, moderated by CNN, and had no studio audience. President Trump spoke 40 minutes, Biden 35 minutes. Even though both had the same amount of time to respond to questions, they did not have to take all their allocated time. The rules for the debate required their respective microphones were muted when the other was speaking, preventing their ‘talking over one another.’ Three observations:

First, Biden’s performance was dismal. That critique is universal and bi-partisan. From the beginning of the debate, Biden delivered hoarse, mumbled, incomplete responses. A CBS News poll released Sunday found 72% of Americans believe Biden does not have the ‘mental and cognitive health to serve as president.’ Since the debate, Democrat Party leaders have openly urged Biden to withdraw from the race and let the Party convention delegates choose another nominee. The New York Times editorial board has urged Biden to withdraw from the race. The problem is Biden is the presumptive nominee with 3,894 pledged delegates. Until Biden releases those delegates, they are bound to support him for the nomination. At a campaign rally in North Carolina on Friday, Biden pledged to stay in the race.

On Sunday, Sen. Raphael Warnock, (D-GA), and a possible replacement for Biden said bad debates happen and Biden should not step aside. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, (D-NY) said Biden will make a comeback at the next debate and that he has his full support. The second debate is scheduled for Tuesday September 10^th. Time will tell if Biden stays in the race or quits.

Second, Trump’s performance was uninspired. Short on policy specifics and long on generalities, the former president missed a great opportunity to outline what his economic and foreign policy would be if granted a second term. Ambiguous, inexact answers insult citizens seeking to know what a candidate plans to do if elected. Until the American public demand to know what a candidate stands for, presidential debates will be nothing short of a reality show: personality and sensationalism will be the order of the day. Golf handicaps and driving prowess shouldn’t be determining factors in whom one will vote for.

Third, the debate format worked. While both candidates largely ignored the questions posed to them by the moderators, muting the mics was a good idea. Enforcing allocated time is a good idea. In 2020, Trump talked over Biden during debates, and Americans were not afforded the opportunity to see Biden’s inability to think on his feet. That probably cost Trump the 2020 election.

Much of Thursday’s debate was two candidates accusing each other of being the worst president in American history. Neither need worry- Jimmy Carter is the undisputed worst. Caricatures, distortions, and exaggerations (positive and negative) are now the norm in politics. Policy has taken a backseat to entertainment. If golf handicaps and driving distance are part of the decision tree for voters, it’s time to yell FORE!

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Why FAIR & BIASED?

FAIR- because that's my name and BIASED because the truth is we are all biased- either for something or against it. What's important is that our bias(opinions) are based on right- on absolute truth and not on changing values. What's right cannot change based on a change in circumstances. That is the basis for situational ethics.

Situation Ethics is a theory that is concerned with the outcome or consequences of an action; the end, as opposed to an action being intrinsically wrong. In the case of situation ethics, the end can justify the means. There are no absolutes. Your actions are guided only by your conscience.

A person's view of right can be subjective. But there is a way mankind can definitely know what's right and that is revealed in God's Word- the Bible. As His creatures, we should be biased toward things our Creator is for and biased against those things He is against. May God grant us the grace and understanding to know the difference.

PARTY AFFILIATION IS IMPORTANT! by Steve Fair- written in 2009

How important is political party affiliation? Some people mistakenly believe only politicians need political affiliation, which they use for support to get elected. They contend the electorate or voters, do not need to be aligned with any Party. These same people often state they “support the man, not the Party.” But whether they recognize it or not, they are supporting a party when they “support the man.”
Most of the Founding Fathers had a negative view of political parties. In his farewell address to the nation, George Washington warned about political parties saying, “However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.” In spite of Washington's warning, political parties were formed anyway.
From 1796 to 1828 the first political parties were formed. Starting with the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, two opposing factions arose. Each was concerned with how the new government was to be organized. The Federalists believed in a strong central government. Their philosophy and beliefs would closely mirror the Democrat Party today. The Anti-Federalists strongly supported the rights of the states. They would more closely align with Republicans today.
Since the mid 1800s, the Ds and Rs have been the two major political parties in our country. Political parties flourished in our government mainly for legislative organization and expediencies sake. Why is Party affiliation important for the average voter? Party affiliation is important for three very simples reasons.
First, party affiliation is the first vote a citizen casts. When a citizen registers as a Democrat, then they are aligning philosophically with the values, beliefs, tenets, and positions of the Democrats on the issues. Party affiliation “defines” you are and what you stand for. It should be taken as seriously as a vote for a specific candidate. Research what each Party stands for, their positions on issues, and then align with the Party that is closest to your values. Copies of both major Party platforms are available on-line or at the local library.
Second, legislatures organize themselves and conduct business using party affiliation. The legislative branch of government is the most powerful arm of the three branches of government. Legislative bodies hold closed meeting of party members, called a caucus to decide on questions of policy or leadership. The Republicans hold a caucus meeting and the Democrats hold a caucus meeting-both at the state and federal level. Unfortunately, conservative, moderate and liberal philosophies do not hold caucus meetings or control the legislative agendas- parties do. When someone says they vote for “the man,” not the party, they fail to understand the power and function of a caucus system in a legislative body. The Party in the majority controls appointments, Chairmanships, the agenda and countless other things through the caucus.
Third, party affiliation should be a matter of conviction, not convenience. Often, people align with a party so they can vote in primary elections or based on family tradition or geographies. Even candidates will align, file and run affiliated with a Party they have little philosophical agreement with. That decision is made out of convenience, not conviction. While no political party is perfect or has all the answers, there is a distinct difference between the two major parties and honest citizens should align with the Party that reflects their convictions.
The Democrat Party is more liberal than the Republican Party. Liberals believe in more government control of business, the environment and speech, using large bureaucratic programs to address real or perceived social ills and constant reinterpretation of the Constitution. Liberals are more inclined to trust government than the people themselves. They see the role of government as a great provider of goods and services and have little faith in the individual to solve his own problems.
Republicans are more conservative than Democrats. Conservatives believe in less government control of the environment and business. They want fewer and less comprehensive government programs to address real or perceived social ills. They believe in personal responsibility and trust individuals to make decisions for themselves. Republicans believe in a strict literal interpretation of the Constitution. A person should find out which of these philosophies best fits their view if they wish to actively participate in the political process.
Party affiliation is important. Washington’s prophecy has come to past, and political parties have been used to empower “unprincipled men,” on both sides of the aisle, but like it or not, political parties are a reality in our system of government. Each concerned citizen should evaluate the philosophy, values, beliefs and tenets of each Party and align their party affiliation accordingly.

FAIR AND BIASED

Sunday, June 30, 2024

Caricatures, distortions, and exaggerations are now the norm in politics!

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PARTY AFFILIATION IS IMPORTANT! by Steve Fair- written in 2009

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