Comments on: Why doesn’t someone make politics accessible?

By: Can Better Branding Make Politics More Accessible?

Can Better Branding Make Politics More Accessible? — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 23:06:26 +0000

[...] could be different . Through better branding, politicians and political organizations could make it easier for voters [...]

By: Patrick

Patrick — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:57:26 +0000

http://www.votegopher.com might be the winner. It isn’t perfect, but it’s close.

By: Len

Len — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 20:23:22 +0000

Politics is like boxing. Feint with a left cross, getting your opponent to drop his guard on his left then follow with a right hook to the jaw and your opponent is flattened. In the 2004 presidential election, the Republicans brilliantly feinted by stating that gay marriages were not an issue that the federal government would get into. Rather, it was to be an issue for the states to resolve. To be sure that the feint was taken, Dick Cheney made the pronouncement and it was carried by every news organization. The Democrats took it to mean that the administration was allowing the decision on this devisive issue to be made at more local levels, where gay marriage would be allowed in some places where it is more acceptable. That is, the Republicans were showing an enlightened view of national diversity. Then, after everyone who could vote in every state of the union knew that gay marriage would be resolved at the state level, the Republicans put gay marriage on the ballot of every state in which an otherwise complacent social conservative electorate could be coaxed to the ballot box because of the gay marriage issue. Oh, and by the way, while those social conservatives were voting against gay marriage, they completed their ballots by voting for George W. Bush, who was clearly against gay marriage. That was the right hook that flattened the Democrats in Ohio and elsewhere and won the Presidential election for Bush–and that’s politics in a nutshell.
In case you didn’t get it, voters don’t have to be very fond of your candidate to vote for him/her. There just has to be an issue that they are fervent about. Get your candidate associated with that issue and he/she will win every time.
Here’s a phrase to remember whether you selling beer or a candidate: “People buy emotion, not facts.” So, associate your candidate with issues that will stir voters to his/her cause and associate your candidate’s opponents with issues that will antagonize voters. In short, sell emotion. That’s what all the candidates are doing in Iowa.
Now you know what politics is about in the early 21st century: (1) faking your opponents so they drop their guard and (2) selling emotion. The issues are simply the vehicles for doing this. There are lots of issues, so get your opponents looking the other way while you get the voters focused on the issues that sell emotion the way you want it sold. The nominee of each party will be the candidate that does this the best.

By: Mark

Mark — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 02:59:54 +0000

I just came across this one and remembered this post of yours. http://www.civiced.org/

By: James

James — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 14:20:29 +0000

I was recently trying to look round the Scottish Government website, and ‘how democracy works’ would have been something I’d have clicked on. But it wasn’t there, of course. I forget though, we’re adults, of COURSE we know how it all works. As if. Wonderfully more insightful, for someone not particularly interested in politics like myself, was this site: http://www.juniorexec.gov.uk. The Government, as explained to children, and I found quite insightful.

By: Laura

Laura — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 22:14:45 +0000

I say you should open a PBWiki to the public and let us try to make a collective “business plan” or “website plan” for this sort of thing. I’m 20, care about politics and government a lot, and have no idea how to go about formatting such an idea, but have interest in submitting content. you can take each section of the constitution of the US and explain it, but that just ends up being a textbook. You can make it fun and have examples of history when that section was invoked, but that ends up being a law textbook. Personal finance is just that–personal. Each blogger has their own financial situation and friends in their own situations. American politics is the same 1000 guys upon whom we can reflect.

By: Paul L.

Paul L. — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 00:59:44 +0000

Ramit,

I don’t believe one should be drawing parallels between young people interests in politics and in their personal finances.
The reason being is the perceived lack of impact on THEIR lives by ongoing changes in the American political infrastructure and tremendous impact on THEIR lives by their own financial well-being.
Simply put, the corner store will still be there after the elections and will still sell the same coffee regardless of whether a Democrat or a Republican wins the election. Now, (not) being able to afford that cup of coffee is a completely different matter that hits much close to home (or a dorm room).

I come from a country where changes in the political climate impact the average Joe ruthlessly and immediately, and believe me when I say this, 14-y-olds in that country pay more attention to politics than an average US grown-up does.

With that said, all the postings to this article clearly show that the information is out there for those who care to find it.

In my humble opinion, content of a web site that simply explains the US governmental structure and inner workings would equate to Politics 101 text book, while posting the latest data on at least the major current developments would result in a site just like any other posted here. I think building traffic to such site would be quite a challenge.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:15:26 +0000

All great ideas, but i’ve yet to see anyone propose how they’re going to remain “neutral” or “non-partisan”. Or even how you would go about defining “neutral” and “non-partisan”. And who would decide that?

By: alex

alex — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:11:38 +0000

an easy source of trusted information on politics and voting…

already exists in the form of the daily show and the colbert report. you might think this is a joke, but seriously, the intelligence of those two shows never cease to amaze me. they really do know the issues and report them in a satirical manner only to emphasize the absurdity of what is going on. and at times, they do offer practical solutions in their observations.

By: Ryan S

Ryan S — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 20:18:02 +0000

I love the idea of a website built for practical appreciation for government. I was sent the link to this post by a friend that works in politics, asking if I would be interested in working with him and submitting a proposal to you for a website. His experience is in the practical side of electoral politics, where as my degree is in political theory, making us a potent combination.
The difficulty, Ramit, is this: those who know and can explain the political world best are often too deeply embedded into it to remain non-partisan. Both this friend and myself would love to be involved in creating an unbiased website for public use and, if I may say so, would do a damn fine job. We can’t however, because we’re both future candidates. To become heavily involved in such a project would force us to sacrifice the support of those who would mistake our striving to make a knowledgeable group of citizens for being moderate, confused, or stupid. It’s a catch-22 of the finest type. Both you and I want people to know what the political world is all about, from all sides and in a way that everyone can understand. Unfortunately, the people who would be competent teaching on such a topic are almost never willing and the willing are almost never adequate.