LLOYD OMDAHL: Negative campaigns bank on voter ignorance
October 14, 2012 at 7:05 pm in Grand Forks Herald
One writer said he believed the campaign had become so uncivil that a two-hour polite exchange would be hypocritical. That about sums up the feeling of most citizens as the campaign draws to a close. Continue Reading
Listen Floyd…I’m not ignorant so take it back.
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The extremely liberal-biased news media continues to thwart most ‘facts’, if not down right lie.
Combine this with the negative advertising and no wonder some voters are “ignorant”.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Richard! Haven’t you noticed — there’s a FOX constructing the Washington hen house!
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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Well, maybe you watch other sources too? Especially, you should go to the fact checkers — and FactCheck.org wrote:
“We can’t say whether requests for more security — which were denied — reached the top. But American officials who worked in Libya over the summer placed the blame on a deputy assistant secretary of state — not top administration officials — when testifying before Congress this week.”
Of course, to get a really objective view, you need to look at sources as objective as Mitt’s “six studies!”
Hot debate. What do you think?
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If this duo ,Romney and Ryan are elected,it will pose very very serious ramifications for this nation.It maybe the end of America,as we know it.Thier extreme policies are dangerous for the current ongoing economic recovery.The Obama adminstration has achived alot even in the face of Republican opposition and obstruction for the sake,just becuase of their collective dislike of the Preside
nt.They have held the nation hostage for the last four years,just to frustrate one man’s political career at the expense of moving forward fundamental issues that affect Americans of all races,creed or political affiliations.This was an is still extreme in the history of this nation.the fact is if these two are elected , it will not even take a year before you start to the near collapse of the nation, with thier disastrous policies of laying off people en masse by gutting down so many vital programs.You will have a great moment of misery with millions out of work all of a sudden becuase the govenrment has been reduced and institutions like PBS loose funding and other numrous cuts.These people may not recieve any benefits if these two are to have their way.Then you will see the bread lines,food riots,tent cities that were averted in 2008-2009 crises.the chasm between those that have and those that will live in abject poverty will be unprecedented.You will be told that this is necessary for the future.People need to think this one clearly and intelligently.Let Obama/Biden finish the economic/political recovery task they started in 2008.No need to interfere or disrup this program which is actually working.People think and act wisely.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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I love satirical-style writing
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Hello, hello, hello, Richard, Richard, Richard, can, can, can, you, you, you, hear, hear, hear us, us, us, in, in, in, that, that, that, deep deep deep cave cave cave?
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Tundra, me got nice cave, Jane like, dog too.
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If it were an extremely “Liberal media” not only would the real media insist that fox stop listing itself as a news outlet, but they’d call them on all the made up crap rather than try to roll with it. What we have is a propaganda outlet for the neocons called fox, and the rest of the media corporate centric and unwilling to do very much actual journalism anymore……which hurts all of us.
Hell if all you ever do is check American media for news you’d think like most Americans…….the universe revolves around us. Otherwise what we get for news is looking more and more like those left over buckets we used to toss to the hogs……..A whole lot of swill….Regardless what your political positions are.
I do read some actual liberal press……Mother Jones…….that’s pretty much the only real liberal press left….there’s segments here and there, but to call the press “Liberal” is so far out there that it’s beyond he ozone
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How is it that products of government schools are ignorant?
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Ah, public school, Kevin?
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AH but kevin you gotta admit. they can take a helluva test
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Most people are ignorant about most things — and there’s nothing wrong with that unless an ignorant person claims expertise on the topic they are ignorant about!
The problem is that ignorance often seduces people into thinking issues are simple. That’s why educated people often don’t seem decisive — they are weighing the complex issues and pondering the nuances.
Where Lloyd gets it wrong is that “independent” voters could be in either camp.
…and talking of ignorance, the interjection of Rick Warren has no place in a political decision (unless you are prepared to blow off Article VI of the COTUS).
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How is it that educated people lack decisiveness? Being decisive is a combination of personality trait and grasp of the issue at hand. This looks like another excuse for the utter failure of the left to do much of anything right.
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…for every complex problem there’s a simple solution — that’s just plain wrong!
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That’s clearly not what I said, but is a great illustration of Mr. Omdahl’s subject matter.
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The left doesn’t do much of anything right………As well they shouldn’t ……..But they do a lot of things correctly…….Often while having to work around the road blocks and fail to act from the right…….Not doing things like the Right……Is definitely the correct way to do them
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Yeh, do things like the “left.”
Like Nancy Peloser and Hapless Harry … that’s the path to follow.
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The GOP campaign slogan: Turn all the Old, Sick, Poor, Non-white, Non-christian, Women, Unemployed, and Gay people into slaves. Then whip them until they are Young, Healthy, Rich, White, Christian, Male, Employed, and Straight. Or until they are dead. Then turn them into Soylent Green to feed the military.
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An excellent synopsis of the state of the GOP. You have also identified why in 10 years they will have earned a permanent spot as the minority party unless they make moves to attract all of those they are railing against during this silly (election) season.
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“The GOP campaign slogan: Turn all the Old, Sick, Poor, Non-white, Non-christian, Women, Unemployed, and Gay people into slaves. Then whip them until they are Young, Healthy, Rich, White, Christian, Male, Employed, and Straight”
Very good…Obama, the Great Divider is surely proud that you have recieved his message.
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Much like the FS debacle you are on the wrong side of history Always. Demographic changes are inevitable. Political parties that position themselves to take advantage of them prosper, while those that insist on venerating the past are marginalized & removed from the process. Case on point: how many old school Southern Dixicrats are around. “Segregation Now & Segregation Always” was the majority viewpoint at one time.
If the GOP wishes to remain viable, it will have to become more inclusive. It’s WASP & wealthy orientation will have to change or in two generations your offspring will not even know what the letters GOP stand for.
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so…in order to stay relevant…the Repubican party needs to Balkanize the United States… like the liberals try to do every day.
Yes, pander to all the “victims” steal from the wealthy and give the money to the “poor.”
Tell everyone what they want to hear… so you can get the votes and remain feeding at the trough.
Look at Cuba, Fidel is out of power, and in a little reported story, his brother is making it easier to leave the country…there are less restrictions on private property and personal business.
I guess all the Republicans… those you refer to as “wasps” (is that a racial slur?) and “wealthy” will move to Cuba. Cubans, under the utopia of liberalism, are still living in the 19th century…time for an update anyway.
Capitalism to the rescue.
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From the USA Today article:
Payments to private enterprises are made not with the low-value Cuban peso that public employees receive but the Cuban convertible peso, a currency roughly equivalent to the U.S. dollar. Given that the average wage in Cuba is $18 a month, the Cubans who are licensed to run a business are creating an inversion of social norms in the country, Espinosa says.
“A porter in a hotel or a taxi driver can earn more than a Cuban doctor,” he said. “And they have a grandiose view of themselves. It’s a joke.”
What once was Cuba….can now be the USA….just re-elect Obaama.
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I think Lloyd has it a little backwards here. Most politically ignorant people I know are those who are in lockstep with one of the two main parties, worship the current standard bearer, in this case Obama and Romney, and will vote a straight ticket every time. The independent voters I know are actually more in tune with reality and have become disillusioned with the two party system because they understand the two major parties are both responsible for putting us over $16 trillion in debt. I know because for 20 odd years I went to the polls and voted a straight party line, first for the D’s, then later for the R’s, because I had been convinced once again that a “great man” was being offered up by the system and we needed to vote him into office to set America back on the “right track” and “fix our economy”, and “save social security” and “fight communism”, blab la bla. Aug53 is correct, this Ponzi scheme is going to collapse, but it won’t matter if Mr. D, Mr. R, or Mr. L is occupying the White House when it does. Eventually, our credit rating will be downgraded enough that it will be a rush to dump US debt on the market, and the Treasury will need to create dollars at light speed to buy it all up to prevent a monetary collapse. We’ll see the day when your $100,000 401K plan won’t pay for a vacation to Wisconsin Dells, let alone the south of France. I think Lloyd is just worried because he knows many independent such as myself are checking out of the “two party system” and looking for non political solutions to the problems we face.
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In the spirit of fighting ignorance:
BAY OF PIGS, Cuba – Sitting at a wooden table at his 3-week-old restaurant, Saturnino Morrejon Ramos surveyed the turquoise water of this inlet on the Caribbean off Cuba’s southern coast.
By Girish Gupta, for USA TODAY
A butcher works in his shop in Havana. Some Cubans are allowed to run private restaurants in their homes.
EnlargeCloseBy Girish Gupta, for USA TODAY
A butcher works in his shop in Havana. Some Cubans are allowed to run private restaurants in their homes.
Sponsored Links”I still remember the gunfire,” Ramos, 64, said, referring to the failed, CIA-backed invasion by Cuban exiles to depose the regime of Fidel Castro in 1961.
Ramos and others like him are taking part in a decidedly capitalistic change in Cuba in which the communist rulers have relaxed state control of the economy to generate wealth. Results appear mixed because of high taxes on profits and restrictions on economic freedoms that could lead to demands for political liberties.
Ramos is happy about the changes. The tables, chairs and kitchen of the restaurant atop his house were bought using $5,000 worth of remittances, or cash that the family gets from relatives in the USA.
“It’s definitely worth paying the taxes to the government because we’re earning more money,” he said, admiring both the view and the fish caught yards away that lay grilled on the plates of diners. “Everyone’s pleased the government has allowed this.”
Private restaurants such as this are known as paladares. They first appeared in the early 1990s soon after the Soviet Union collapsed, taking with it the financial aid and subsidized fuel that propped up the Cuban economy.
The private restaurants in people’s homes were permitted grudgingly by the Castro government to help Cubans contend with the poor economy, which has for decades been subjected to a rigid socialist state that forbids private enterprise.
After an ailing Fidel stepped back from power in 2006, his brother and now president, Raúl Castro, slowly began to relax state controls on commerce. Political repression and denial of rights of speech remain intact, but in an attempt at a China-style system, Raúl has tried to encourage a private sector. Cuba began by cutting more than 20% of the government-employed workforce, which was largely relegated to phantom jobs to make the claim that Cuba’s social model created 100% employment. Castro allowed for an increased number of cuentapropista, or self-employment licenses, to spur more small businesses.
The licenses come with fixed amounts of taxes, regardless of the profits made, and restrictions on how many people can be hired.
By Girish Gupta, for USA TODAY
A man plays chess on a street in Havana.
Only enterprises that hire unskilled workers, such as restaurants and street vendors, are eligible for the licenses. Professionals such as doctors and architects are banned from expanding their practices.
Raúl Castro defended the pace of the changes, saying, “It is proceeding without haste, so that we don’t make new mistakes.”
There have been some noticeable changes. Farmers have been able to lease government land, and Cubans can buy and sell cars and property. Private guesthouses, normally a spare room in someone’s house that tourists can rent for the night, are found all over Havana.
One license-holder who was popping and bagging popcorn for sale on the street said the changes are not without problems. He said he rents out a room in his home, but more than half of the $20-a-night he charges must go to the government even if the room is vacant.
“The state earns more money from my business than I do,” he said, asking that his name not be published for fear of reprisal from the government.
The Cuban government says the level of taxation is necessary to subsidize health care, education and telephone, electricity and water services. Cuban economist Oscar Espinosa Chepe said the taxes are so high that only the tiniest of enterprises can form.
“The reforms are not sufficient; they could be done much quicker,” he said. “This government is trying to give the impression that it’s changing, but the country is on the edge of a cliff.”
Few newer-model cars are seen on the streets of Havana, shelves of stores are bereft of goods and shortages of food are common. Still, driving a taxi or running a guesthouse can be lucrative compared with surviving on state salaries alone.
Payments to private enterprises are made not with the low-value Cuban peso that public employees receive but the Cuban convertible peso, a currency roughly equivalent to the U.S. dollar. Given that the average wage in Cuba is $18 a month, the Cubans who are licensed to run a business are creating an inversion of social norms in the country, Espinosa says.
“A porter in a hotel or a taxi driver can earn more than a Cuban doctor,” he said. “And they have a grandiose view of themselves. It’s a joke.”
Espinosa worries that none of the economic changes will survive should Cuba lose the patronage of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who has used his nation’s oil wealth to replace the Soviet Union as Cuba’s benefactor.
Espinosa says even the catastrophic loss of welfare from Venezuela would not prompt the Castros to open the economy in full fashion.
“The problem is that the government is scared,” said Espinosa, who was imprisoned in 2003 for 18 months for allegedly receiving money from abroad and possessing newspaper clippings about meetings between representatives of the United States and Cuban dissidents. “They know that economic freedom is linked to political freedom.”
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I am amazed by the number of dislikes to your post. I really don’t understand why. Is it the Cuban way of life they disagree with or the article itself?
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It is simpler than that: they don’t like Always; which is a shame. The boards are not nearly as entertaining when he is pouting & not coming out to play.
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My guess…they read it…then realize that under Obama…..the US will be Cuba.
The truth hurts.
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The ignorant ones these days tend to be the party line voters, NOT the independent voter. But Lloyds point is otherwise interesting–but he provides no solution.
He does hint at the cause–briefly. The US Supreme court kicked the door to any control over campaign spending down. To fix this, it will take two things–legislators and a president who are open to campaign finance restrictions, and a supreme court that will not legislate from the bench as the current one has on the matter.
Every since Dubya’s hatchet men successfully torpedoed John McCain in a South Carolina primary with horrific false attacks on McCain’s family a number of years back, the republican party has ostracized the few members it used to have who would stand up for campaign finance reform.
Lesson learned here. If you want change to the system, the negative campaigns, the ridiculous amounts of outside money from people who have never set foot in north dakota spent trying to influence OUR elections–you can’t vote republicans in for national office. That will just perpetuate inaction on the problem in congress, and assure that the supreme court will continue to legislate from the bench. Somehow I don’t think the founding fathers imagined many hundreds of thousands spent on North Dakota elections by the Koch brothers as being protected free speech!
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Tim R:
In the US…people (most) earn their money and thusly…they are allowed to spend it anyway they want.
That kind of goes along with it being a FREE country and all.
If your politicians are so corrupt that money can buy them…that means the politician is the problem…not the money.
If people are influenced by copious advertising…then they are the problem…not the advertising.
Sometimes you sound like a liberal….believing that everyone is ignorant and corrupt….except the liberals, of coirse..
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Oh spare me the extreme partisan rants.
You need on average 1 1/2 million dollars to even think about a US House race run these days….closer to ten million to run for US senate.
If you are rich as sin, you can donate millions, and no one has to know to whom or for what.
If you don’t think candidates are beholden to people who donate that kind of money to them–and vote in their interests as a result–not the public’s best interest, but their richest donors direct interest–you are fooling yourself.
And consider this…Obama is thought by many to have been elected on the strength of his outspending McCain greatly–spending more than twice as much as McCain did. Obama spent 760 million dollars to get elected–McCain 358 million to lose.
It isn’t quite as big a disparity today, but as of the last accounting, Obama is outspending Romney by almost as much as he outspent McCain.
If Obama is re-elected with a huge boost from his simply having outspent Romney- is that not a problem?
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You are incorrect.
The whining and complaining about the amount of money spent on campaigns is just more divisive class warfare.
Do you realize how little faith you have in your fellow citizens? By your assessment of the electorate all candidates are for sale, and voters are easily influenced. My point is, that if what you say is correct, it is not the fault of the money or the advertising, it is the fault of the recipient…that recipient can be democrat or republican or independent.
As ridiculous a notion as blaming guns for killing people, the weapon is an inanimate object, capable of doing nothing without being manipulated by a human.
Mr. Shirvani seems intent on addressing this very problem, by emphasising “critical thinking” in academia….godspeed Mr. Shirvani…..if you really mean it.
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