Philosophy Now Forum

If you are watching the U.S. Republican convention, soon to be followed by the Democratic convention, anybody with an ounce of intelligence has to wonder why political parties spend millions and millions of dollars to encourage vast audiences of dimwits to applaud every other sentence of every speech for the benefit of mindless candidates who would sell their grandmother down the river to get elected.

To create the façade of a democratic process.

Grendel wrote:To create the façade of a democratic process.

It's obviously a democratic process that can be substantiated by an independent survey.

That they're all green men from Venus can be substantiated by an independent survey, as long as that's what the payer wants.

You are decidedly wrong about that since there are many well-respected polling organizations that generally come up with similar results.

Obviously then that was what the payers wanted.

I'm sorry, but you are obviously divorced from reality.

Grendel wrote:That they're all green men from Venus can be substantiated by an independent survey, as long as that's what the payer wants.

Green men are from Mars, not Venus.

Not that is matter because all conventions do is to rally the faithful.

bobevenson wrote:I'm sorry, but you are obviously divorced from reality.

I don't know how to break it to you, father Christmas doesn't exist, there's no easter bunny or tooth fairy and politics is teeny weensy bit cynical and manipulative.

Grendel wrote:

bobevenson wrote:I'm sorry, but you are obviously divorced from reality.

I don't know how to break it to you, father Christmas doesn't exist, there's no easter bunny or tooth fairy and politics is teeny weensy bit cynical and manipulative.

If you believe highly reputable polling organiztions can be bought off by anyone, you're the one who believes in fairies, my friend.

Highly reputable is in the eye of the beholder. Ones that tell the politicians the things they want to hear are the one they regard as highly reputable.

Grendel wrote:Highly reputable is in the eye of the beholder. Ones that tell the politicians the things they want to hear are the one they regard as highly reputable.

Apparently, radio, television, national newspapers and supernarket tabloids are for some reason completely unaware of these polling scams.

American politics is in a bit of a special situation because of the large amounts of advertising which is either heavily regulated or banished in Europe by principle that money should not decide whether you can get an appeal to people or not.

Personally I think of political advertising is just an American version of the African "bought elections" where candidates offer money for people to vote on them.

Political Conventions serve mainly to keep loyalists loyal. It's like saying "I really appreciate that you love me/vote for me/stay true to me" and so forth. And to encourage people to not quit voting as well as to facilitate social pressure to follow the crowd and keep unity and in so doing counter separatism.

What is the purpose of political conventions?

After watching Mitt Romney. None.

The Voice of Time wrote:American politics is in a bit of a special situation because of the large amounts of advertising which is either heavily regulated or banished in Europe by principle that money should not decide whether you can get an appeal to people or not.

Personally I think of political advertising is just an American version of the African "bought elections" where candidates offer money for people to vote on them.

Political Conventions serve mainly to keep loyalists loyal. It's like saying "I really appreciate that you love me/vote for me/stay true to me" and so forth. And to encourage people to not quit voting as well as to facilitate social pressure to follow the crowd and keep unity and in so doing counter separatism.

First of all, advertising is freedom of speech, of which Europe has little comprehension. Secondly, why shouldn't a candidate or anybody else be able to offer me money for my vote in a free-market capitalistic society? On what basis should the government be able to dictate the conditions under which my vote can be cast? When a candidate promises something to the electorate, isn't that buying votes?