Monday, May 05, 2008

YouTube, the Electoral College, and the Politics of Perception


Usually, I try to stay away from politics. There are plenty of online sources for that sort of stuff, and the goal of this site is far, far away from that area. But I can't help but pay attention to what's been going on, and I've written some observations over at NYU Local. Like most young people, I'm inclined to support Barack Obama, but I hope that the article raises issues that go beyond candidate preference:

"In a culture saturated with the marketing of personas – whether it be celebrities of questionable substance, or politicians who’s greatest offense was getting caught – these are variations on the same old story. There’s undeniable appeal in witnessing a fall from grace, whatever the context. In some cases, the disgust is warranted. But the scrutiny on personal sins, real or imagined, could very well divert attention from what truly matters."

It takes a bit to get to "what truly matters" for me, but I stand by the article's conclusion. Read the rest here. This is new territory for me, so do let me know what you think.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The link was too an article reviewing music, not a political article like I was expecting.

Roland said...

Oops - fixed, thanks!

Anonymous said...

Wow! Beautifully written column! I agree that we should get rid of the electoral college--it's such an antiquated system. However, I'm not 100% sure how I feel about the Obama minister drama, but I do respect the guy for not turning his back on his life-long friend/mentor in order to "save face" for the election. You don't see many politicians that would do that these days.

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