Are you saying that the situation in the US is specifically muddied because politics now incorporates a fight about all aspects of ones life — the Culture Wars?
That is to say, old fashioned political messages are no longer common; not much of “vote for Joe to cut property taxes for nurses!” or “don’t vote for Tammy, she will end free downtown parking” any more.
Instead, there is more oblique messaging like some pastor saying “vaping is a sin!” as a passive aggressive attack on a candidate for office who made their fortune building a vaping business?
This sort of thing feels like a consequence of the over extension of democracy into all parts of life. When you have direct democracy to elect judges and school superintendents, politics becomes everything to the extent that anything said publicly on any topic becomes political speech. That would indeed make it difficult to regulate uncontrolled political ad spamming.
Brexit drove politics into everyday life in the UK as well, and it is all consuming. At least one thing I miss about the old days was that politics was about administration of the country.
> Are you saying that the situation in the US is specifically muddied because politics now incorporates a fight about all aspects of ones life — the Culture Wars?
No. Not quite. In fact, I'm saying quite the opposite. The argument is that people are concerned often about issues, not just candidates. This is a historical norm. It is as important (if not more) to allow platforms where everyone can publish and advertise their policy opinions, rather than just candidate ones. This is a fundamental right in a democracy, and is true whether or not the society is engaged in a 'culture war'.
> Instead, there is more oblique messaging like some pastor saying “vaping is a sin!” as a passive aggressive attack on a candidate for office who made their fortune building a vaping business?
Actually, this is the historical norm. Especially in American politics, moral grandstanding by various factions is the norm. Think camp revivals and the like. The idea that candidates should be the main focus rather than issues is a fictitious utopian pipe dream.
That is to say, old fashioned political messages are no longer common; not much of “vote for Joe to cut property taxes for nurses!” or “don’t vote for Tammy, she will end free downtown parking” any more.
Instead, there is more oblique messaging like some pastor saying “vaping is a sin!” as a passive aggressive attack on a candidate for office who made their fortune building a vaping business?
This sort of thing feels like a consequence of the over extension of democracy into all parts of life. When you have direct democracy to elect judges and school superintendents, politics becomes everything to the extent that anything said publicly on any topic becomes political speech. That would indeed make it difficult to regulate uncontrolled political ad spamming.
Brexit drove politics into everyday life in the UK as well, and it is all consuming. At least one thing I miss about the old days was that politics was about administration of the country.