Isn’t it fun to post diaries that highlight some pundit or politician that “rips,” “destroys,” “humiliates,” “devastates,” etc., someone from the right? Don’t we feel good when we see a riposte so titillating that we want to rush to post that put-down first on Daily Kos?
I submit, no. It’s actually not fun. Well, it’s not fun anymore. Here is my thinking:
Just ahead of the Republican convention, the national polling is very very close. In spite of the Republican candidates’ mendacity, fealty, and ineptitude, the race at this point is a statistical tie. We know that Romney will see a bump in poll numbers post convention. We know that Obama will see a bump after his. But our focus on the mundane, the inane, and the ridiculous doesn’t help matters. Yes, Romney is a blunderhead. He seems incapable of going one day without saying something that either contradicts his stated position or is easy to paint as a pander to the extreme right. Who cares? We do...most voters don’t. And that’s the problem.
We can say, “If only the lazy media got across OUR message, no one would ever consider voting for that guy.” You know what? That’s what the other side says too. The reality is that many Americans have legitimate concerns about Obama and he can’t seem to pacify them. He can’t seal the deal. Romney is superficially mainstream enough so that the average American won’t think he’s as evil or as horrible as we do. So we have these verbal masturbations where we say “Romney destroyed by Ed Schultz” and it amounts to a hill of beans. We feel better but it doesn’t move the needle.
You want to do something that really has an impact? You must contribute money to the campaign. You must contribute your time to the campaign. You must post – continuously -- to your social network sites. You must wear buttons. You must put a sticker on your car. A yard sign on your lawn or in your window. You must let everyone you know know that you are a Democrat or you are voting that way. People who are undecided frequently break for the person they think will win. They want to know they voted for the winner. Help make Obama the winner by being active. Not by reposting ephemeral clips and quips about a Romney flubber. Ultimately this election is about the guy people trust more. Not about how superior we are because we pint out his foibles. Obama should be leading by a large margin. The fact that he isn't is telling us something. We've got work to do.