One of the bigger comedy routines we're going to be treated to is Hillary Clinton campaigning as the champion of the poor when she and her hubby have become millionaires by accepting payola from wealthy donors in return for political favors. The same people who brought us the "Marc Rich" pardon in the waning hours of the Clinton administration now want you to believe that they're going to fight for you against the rich.
It'll be the same song and dance that we've heard for many decades by those running for office, no difference. We'll hear the same worn out campaign rhetoric and "Dr. Feelgood" speeches that we've all heard from candidates many times over. But, the sad part is that stupid voters are going to vote for those candidates knowing that what they say is nothing more than lies, and promises that they know they can't keep.
C'mon, Sonny.......do you think polititians put on cowboy hats and gobble hotdogs at road side diners because they've always wanted to? Its because many folks don't give a shit about issues. But how they feel about the person. When you're dealing with feeling based voters, you speak to them in their idiom. Which might involve a little line dancing or a pseudo-southern accent.
Hillary's problem there is that she just isn't likable and can't connect with average voters. Bubba was a master at both. She, not so much.
Which is exactly my point. "Likeability' and 'connection' are feeling based. Not issue based. Some people vote for the how they feel about the person, not the issues they advocate. And for those a trip to the local diner and an attempt to line dance go way, way farther than an eloquent, logical statement of values or policy.
The 'American Voter' isn't a homogeneous absolute. But lots and lots of different kinds of people that respond to different messages and vote for different reasons. And a winner has to convince as broad a section as possible. Is affecting a southern accent disingenuous? Sure.But some folks respond to that. Most don't. And for those that don't, an effective politician will speak to them in their idiom.
