Election Noise

Election Noise

Every election is replete with noise, noise in the sense of emotional roller-coasters.

Roller-coasters all have something in common. Even without the riders they are very noisy. Their steel wheels gliding along the steel rails generating lively sparks are themselves enough to rupture an eardrum, added to this its screaming passengers, not to mention the periodic hot lunches. Personally I prefer much quieter rides like the carousel or even better, the park bench.

Elections are a lot like those roller-coasters, especially the debates. Election debates, especially the first ones, are designed and orchestrated, if you will, to generate an emotional frenzy in the minds of its listeners.

Elections are also a lot like sales. The object of sales is emotions for salesmen are trained to appeal to the client’s emotions. Emotions are the prime motivators of sales. Most sales are generated because a customer gets emotional or excited about a product or service, so the salesperson is trained to close the sale based on your emotions not logic. Once a prospective customer begins to ask questions or time to “think it over”, the salesperson knows it’s time to shift gears or lose the sale. Sales people are notorious for misquoting or omitting material information, likewise are politicians.

So also are elections geared to cause you to make an emotional decision instead of a rational one.

The key to elections is to “think it over”, to take your time and rationalize each candidate and issues. Separate yourself from the bling and the bang and all the noise, sit back with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and read every opinion on the candidates and issues you can get your hands on. After all, that’s perhaps the one difference between an election and a sales presentation—you actually have a built in time to literally de-board the election roller-coaster, at least for a time. That’s the time to sit on the park benches and smell the flowers, while sipping your favorite latte and reading opinions, and blogs of how others access the candidates and issues.

It is only after taking these vital steps that one can truthfully vote with confidence.