Lying in bed one night this thought came to me:
There were farmers in their fields abiding
Keeping watch o’er their harvest by night
When suddenly a host of politicians appeared
Praising themselves and saying
“Peace on earth and
Good will to those who vote for us.”
So . . . I thought it was time to use my alliterative powers (having to do with the first letter of the following words – pessimism, politics, perception and pooh-poohing) to outline the overplayed politics of procession. A caveat at this point – I believe in the political process. I do not believe in seeking power for the sake of selfish gain.
“The following is rated PG for Political Guidance, and may contain points of truth. Readers are advised to proceed with caution.”
Positioning for power. Political parties and independents are constantly positioning themselves as powerful. A sign of weakness is seen as a sign of loss of political power. We, the people, are expected to trust those who are seen to be persuasive and perceptive of their own achievements (a little wordplay for the fun of it – One must Trump in politics – but is that really Trudeau?).
Perception of power. Truth is seen as a matter of perception in politics. Where there is a point to be made, portraying that point in light of the policies of the party is vital. The GTH, an idea with promise, falls prey to problems. Support is given for the project until support is no longer possible. Perceptions of power meeting persistent problems provides need for pause.
Placing of timing. In order to maintain power, stories and narratives of the weakness of opponents need to be fresh in the minds of the populace at the point of voting. The right story, propelled forward at the right time, wins potential votes.
Prayers to the people. In light of the need for followers, politicians create pleadings to the people. Blessing them with votes is the subtext of their speeches, videos and PR. The eloquence of speech writers comes into play, prioritizing the need for their party to win. Faithful followers welcome the reassurance, opponents are hopefully swayed.
Polling the populace. Just in case a politician may have missed a shift in the populace, polls are commissioned and portrayed as containing the truth about the possible outcome of the upcoming vote. Policies may change, new ploys to convince voters are concocted as incumbents and upstarts prepare for the future.
Of course, this style of pleading for prosperity in the final polls is a perversion. Whereas we would like to be lauded as the most important, perhaps the best praise we can receive is that we were there to help. As a wise man once said, “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant.”
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