Cynicism abounds on presidential politics (05/15/07)

Sometimes you have to wonder if presidential politics has completely derailed, if those involved in the process - candidates, the press, and the endless army of strategists - have simply lost their minds.

How else does one explain the prospect of a campaign that won't conclude for another 18 months but is already several months old?

In what way does this make sense? In what way does the country benefit from the mind-numbing drumbeat of sound bites and talking points?

If you're reading this now, it's pretty solid evidence that you're a literate, reasonably well-informed citizen, the sort of person who takes his or her vote seriously.

So, solid citizen, ask yourself this: Can you name all of the candidates who have already announced their bids for the Republican and Democratic nomination?

We didn't think so.

Chances are, you're familiar enough with the big names - Hillary Clinton and John McCain and Barack Obama and Rudy Giuliani and John Edwards and Mitt Romney - but start drawing a blank when it comes to folks like Tom Tancredo or Duncan Hunter or Bill Richardson.

Even with the big names, most of us are only beginning to get a sense of who the candidates are, what they value, and where they hope to lead the country. As to the others, they tend to be a blur.

If the endless campaign served to rectify that, the whole thing might be worth it.

That is, if we actually developed a meaningful understanding of the candidates' policies and principles.

But that's not likely to happen.

Instead, we'll be treated to a marketing campaign of competing brand names. Only rarely will we get an opportunity to peek behind the curtain, and those events will be quickly labeled gaffes or miscues by the competing handlers of the candidates.

Sorry if all that sounds cynical, but cynicism is getting harder and harder to suppress in the face of the merchandising and manipulation of 21st century presidential politics. - J.R.[[In-content Ad]]