Like everyone else, I see poll results constantly displayed by all the TV news outlets while experts analyze every rise, dip and blip taking place. And then, just a few moments ago, I realized that the whole voting game’s changed, however, the pundits and predictors don’t seem to grasp what’s been happening around them.
As I sat in front of my screen, information about Benghazi crawled across the bottom. A few moments later, folks discussed skyrocketing unemployment expected if the soon arriving “fiscal cliff” problems aren’t fixed. Meanwhile, the presidential candidates schedules flashed by, insets and lists showing anticipated talking points to be addressed with various audiences while criss-crossing the nation.
And that’s when it occurred to me that today, I think just about everyone --and especially likely voters-- get their information directly from the sources themselves. And although there are certainly pundits, experts, and analysts of every stripe and type, along with myriad opinions from practically anyone with media access, folks can now view just about every newsworthy occurrence in real time and assess those situations for themselves.
Consequently, I don’t think it matters much anymore how many folks attend a political rally, or answer inquirer’s questions about whom they’ll support at the polls in November, because the samples are far too small to indicate trends that can turn in a heartbeat, depending on new or quickly changing information that now goes to each of us directly right on our TV screens at home.
So, although years ago candidates could sway whole crowds and populations via speeches, rally's, and personal appearances and the impressions would stick right through to elections, I don’t think that’s true anymore. Because today, I believe all the political rhetoric is like verbal Chinese food. An hour later it’s forgotten and folks are ready to go on to something else.
And that’s why I doubt it’s the crowds that count anymore regarding elections. Because today I think every free-thinking individual is far more likely to make up his or her own mind regardless of what the polls, pundits or even the candidates themselves say since there’s direct instant access to real-time raw information which we all can decide upon specifically by ourselves. And I’m also quite certain we will.
That’s it for today folks.
Adios
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