Larry D. Lauer

The digital technology revolution, 24/7 cable, and social media have changed everything… most especially any assumption that any information we receive is true. This simply is the consequence of what it takes to get and keep attention in this new instant gratification, totally information saturated world.

In the past, conventional wisdom for many of us would have suggested that lies, personal attacks, and vulgarities would immediately disqualify anyone from running for president. Certainly such a person would never even have made it to the primary of a major party!

But in this world, a sensationally crude statement every day is necessary to compel live television coverage, which in turn will compel additional radio, print and social media coverage. And soon the shockingly crude and vulgar becomes commonplace. Just as so many people are now used to bloody violence on television and in movies, supersaturation takes the shock out of the vulgar as well.

And what may be even worse is that lies, fabrications, and personal attacks have also become accepted. And now many people are also accepting that it will take such crude toughness and willing vulgarity to handle out-of-control conflicts at home and abroad.

Some have argued that watching the television debates will show us who these people really are. But I believe that by debate time who they are is already known and accepted. When all is said and done the mass audience merely becomes reinforced in their predispositions, and only a few are persuaded otherwise. It’s the build-up of personality power, not policy differences, that drives votes in the end.

So we are facing a frightening future. Instead of learning more about our candidates, we have not learned much at all… about what they know, who they are, or what they will actually do if elected.