Friday, October 18, 2024

Vintage Clip of 1980 Republican Presidential Debate Reveals That There Used To Be More Intelligence & Class in American Elections

Admittedly, I am sick of this election. In truth, I was sick of it long before it ever started. Hell, if I have to say one thing that makes this election stick out more than any other for me, it is that I was dreading this particular election for years. Ever since the end of the 2020 election, frankly.

Now, there are some real problems with American elections, I think. That much has become obvious for most people in recent years, even decades, it seems. First of all, they last way, way, way too long. For all intents and purposes these days, the presidential elections last basically two years. You begin to hear about new presidential campaigns, and even presidential debates, two years before the actual election. There are a ton of either Republicans or Democrats (or both), and they first jar with each other before the final two candidates square off against each other in the general election. Then, you get bombarded by one side (or sometimes both sides) for contributions.

Which brings me to the second point: they are way, way, way too expensive. There is simply too much money in these elections, especially the presidential elections. The amounts that are spent began to grow into the reaches of absurdity especially starting with George W. Bush, and they have just grown more and more ridiculous over time since. It is outrageous, and shows just how far removed these candidates are from the American people they are supposed to represent. Clearly, they will have a loyalty to meet the interests and demands of their biggest campaign contributors, which generally means that they favor private moneyed interests, and again, this too often comes at the expense of the best interests of the American people they are supposed to be representing in the first place.

There are other issues, as well. Gerrymandering, for example. The fact that the options are restricted to just the two main political parties here, and they often are not satisfactory candidates. And lately, the disinformation campaigns and the lies have grown completely out of hand. It seems that mainstream candidates have simply grow comfortable with lying, and that the mainstream media really does not hold their feet to the fire like they used to. That, and the fact that the American people generally seem to be indifferent to holding their politicians accountable in any meaningful way. I mean, I used to believe (when much younger) that elections were good for the country, that they basically helped to keep people informed. Now, that perception has completely shifted, and I'm surely not alone. Indeed, many people feel that elections do exactly the opposite of keeping people informed and abreast of the major issues affecting the country and the world. 

Frankly, I could go on and on. But the bottom line is: I personally am tired of what elections have become. Yet, it feels like we maybe should value elections more than ever, since American democracy itself feels more fragile and threatened than ever before.

My concern is that too many Americans seem largely indifferent to all of this. It almost seems like many Americans - including some people close to me, unfortunately - almost feel like none of this matters to them in any meaningful way. My own suspicion is that it will be a classic case of  appreciating and missing something only once it is gone.

Anyway, I ran into this video some time ago. This is a video clip of a Republican presidential debate from 1980, and the two candidates - both future presidents - are talking about immigration. They are, of course, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Trust me, I was not - and still am not - a fan of either of these two guys, and do not hold either model up as the ideal presidency. Yet, they show something which since has seemed to been lost. In this clip, they sound almost like what liberals would sound like today, by way of comparison. They would likely be criticized these days for being "too soft" on immigration, as the emphasis these days is on building a literal wall at our southern border, and rooting out all illegals, who are blamed for high crime and stealing jobs and all of those other things which they are generally scapegoated for.

Looking back, it feels a bit like we still had actual standards back then. By way of comparison, it seems like these days, there is really no shame. Many candidates who push the popular narrative sound dumber and more heartless, and they too often show absolutely no shame in proclaiming baseless and often damaging fabrications. We recently had one of the major Vice-Presidential candidates outright say that it was okay to make up stories. These are things which, frankly, would not fly in any reasonably civilized country, and would not have flown in this country not so long ago. It is a statement about how far we have fallen that, these days, nobody questions it, that it does not automatically disqualify someone from being considered a serious candidate for such a major public office. 

Shameful.

Again, I do not want to go much into this election right now. I am trying to stay away from politics right now, because I have admittedly lost a lot of faith in the American political system. Perhaps we are in a rut, because again, millions and millions of people seem to agree, and have lost faith in elections, and the American political system more generally. Once again - perhaps this year more than even, in fact - it feels like a case of picking your poison. We should have more options, and certainly, we should have better options.

Frankly, it hardly feels like too much to ask.

In any case, take a look at the clip below, and see if these two candidates - again, both conservative Republicans - don't sound a bit more classy and, frankly, educated, than what we have today:







George H. W. Bush And Ronald Reagan Debate On Immigration In 1980 | TIME

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