Bankrupt Political Commentary
Political commentary is supposed to vary like the piles of fruit displayed at the supermarket. Instead, what usually comes out is a political smoothie.
Example? The 2022 U.S. Mid Term Election. There was going to be a ‘red wave’ which conjured up images of Biden and Democrats being swept away from both the House and Senate.
This makes independent thought a mockery when political commentators flock together, like sheep down a cliff. Somebody, somewhere predicted the ‘red wave.’ Major commentators jumped on board without examining it with a fine tooth comb. The few commentators that did, were drowned by the ‘wave.’
It was a great booster for Donald Trump because it made him invincible, his followers are a big shark that is feared and that law and order in America takes a back seat when confronted with the comic book, Incredible Hulk. I can’t think of any other explanation for coming up with the idea of a ‘red wave.’
Yes, in August, Liz Cheney lost the Wyoming GOP primary to Harriet Hageman a Trump devotee, but that was after the fact. The ‘red wave’ was predicted way before then, with polls’ help. They are the other hand that backs bankrupt political commentary.
Once a unilateral commentary is established, polls craft questions around it. They can be very destructive to groups not favoured by the prediction, the ‘red wave’ in this instance.
Republicans are back in the House, but it was hardly a man-high wave. Therefore, an explanation should be forthcoming. Putting Donald Trump aside, what made political commentators recycle the notion of a ‘red wave?’
By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.
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