Remedial Democracy

[phantom power]

The following excerpt is actually an article by Chris Hayes, as quoted by Digby. The message here is that 1/3 of American voteres are not just uninformed about political issues, they aren't aware that "political issues" exist. The idea that various problems might have political solutions is essentially an idea that hasn't ever occurred to them.

Undecided voters don't think in terms of issues. Perhaps the greatest myth about undecided voters is that they are undecided because of the "issues." That is, while they might favor Kerry on the economy, they favor Bush on terrorism; or while they are anti-gay marriage, they also support social welfare programs. Occasionally I did encounter undecided voters who were genuinely cross-pressured--a couple who was fiercely pro-life, antiwar, and pro-environment for example--but such cases were exceedingly rare. More often than not, when I asked undecided voters what issues they would pay attention to as they made up their minds I was met with a blank stare, as if I'd just asked them to name their favorite prime number.

(...)

But the very concept of the issue seemed to be almost completely alien to most of the undecided voters I spoke to... So I tried other ways of asking the same question: "Anything of particular concern to you? Are you anxious or worried about anything? Are you excited about what's been happening in the country in the last four years?"

These questions, too, more often than not yielded bewilderment. As far as I could tell, the problem wasn't the word "issue"; it was a fundamental lack of understanding of what constituted the broad category of the "political." The undecideds I spoke to didn't seem to have any intuitive grasp of what kinds of grievances qualify as political grievances. Often, once I would engage undecided voters, they would list concerns, such as the rising cost of health care; but when I would tell them that Kerry had a plan to lower health-care premiums, they would respond in disbelief--not in disbelief that he had a plan, but that the cost of health care was a political issue. It was as if you were telling them that Kerry was promising to extend summer into December.

(...)

Liberals like to point out that majorities of Americans agree with the Democratic Party on the issues, so Republicans are forced to run on character and values in order to win. (This cuts both ways: I met a large number of Bush/Feingold voters whose politics were more in line with the Republican president, but who admired the backbone and gutsiness of their Democratic senator.) But polls that ask people about issues presuppose a basic familiarity with the concept of issues--a familiarity that may not exist.

(Link to original article, subscription only)
https://ssl.tnr.com/p/docsub.mhtml?i=express&s=hayes111704

(Link to Digby's post)
http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_digbysblog_archive.html#115638082216552426

[silverweb]

1. A very interesting analysis.

And it does answer the question about people who "don't do politics," yet have strong opinions on various subjects (aka "issues") and never seem to make the connection.

Thank you for posting!

Now we just have to figure out how to reach these people.

[RapidCreek]

2. Yep, that's pretty much been my experience.

It's pretty frightening isn't it? That's the way our fascist friends like it, hell, that's the way they need it.

RC