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Originally Posted by skylark
And there are limitations as far as putting so much detail in the media. First, if you go to much into detail in a speech (or debate answer), you risk having a single detail be taken out of context and that 10 second blip becomes the clip that gets played over and over for the next two days. It is easier to control media spin to simply summarize your position, without details. It is just too risky sometimes to do it, and it is a shame that it makes for a less intelligent discourse.
As I'm thinking about this issue though, I'm remembering an experience I had designing my sorority chapter's website. Someone from HQ wanted me to use all the weird sorority-specific words to describe something and then define all those words and wanted all sorts of detailed paragraphs on the org's this or that. I ended up only moderately incorporating her advice because while it was well-meant, I thought that putting a small novel on the internet diluted the more simple message that the chapter wanted to portray. Maybe (I have no idea on this) but just maybe that was a strategic call on the part of the website designer for Barack to keep the message simpler.
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I have no doubt it was a 'strategic call' - in fact, I would almost guarantee it is. That's what works - Family Guy lampooned it, but the method is proven. Seriously, this was entirely what I was referencing before, and what spawned this entire path of discussion.
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Originally Posted by skylark
And yeah, maybe it does seem like Barack shouldn't play into the status quo of politics+media by keeping his surface message fairly simple since he is the candidate purporting to be for a new type of politics, but I think he has preserved his commitment to change in other respects that he's more likely to make a difference with. And you do have to play by some of the status-quo rules if you want to be a viable candidate. If you don't, at best you can have a Nader candidacy... but I don't think he's in the position right now to change the way the media covers political campaigns so I don't really judge him too harshly for not being a better example in this particular arena.
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This is where we differ, and it is merely a matter of perspective - you're enamored with Obama (or, at the least, have determined he's the best option for your vote) so you would clearly prefer he "plays the game" and avoids anything that might hurt him. That's fine - it maximizes your personal utility.
I'm not so convinced that he actually would have the means or ability to make the changes he has discussed, and would like more explanation of how his vision relates to being President - a more effectual explanation, rather than a philosophical one (see where I'm going with the book portion?) - so obviously I disagree. I think we're both right, for ourselves (or our perspective).
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Originally Posted by skylark
But I have to say this: characterizing your comments as "observations" instead of "judgments" is really just a semantics game. Why observe something that isn't true? Would it be fair for me to "observe" that Ron Paul hasn't laid out specific enough plans simply because I haven't passively heard the information?
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This began because there was an assertion (by Drolefille) that Obama had more substance to his rhetoric than other candidates. An in-depth examination of his materials, specifically his website (to offset your concerns about limited time or ability to address issues in speeches or appearances) made this seem like it wasn't obviously the case - I'm not judging Obama on this, I'm observing that Drolefille's statement isn't necessarily factual, but rather an opinion.
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Originally Posted by skylark
That's not really an observation, or at least not a meaningful one. I don't know if Ron Paul has specific plans, but that isn't because he has failed in his duty as a candidate to educate me, that is because I have failed to be interested enough to see if the info is out there. What I know of him (mainly from an article I read in the Economist) is enough for me to know I wouldn't vote for him. However, I'm not out there complaining that the reason why is because he doesn't have a plan (simply because I haven't seen him on TV articulating it). I think if you like the surface of what a candidate says, but you want to hear something more detailed, then that's when you go out and actively search for the answers. If you're not interested enough to go out and look for it, then just call a spade a spade and say that -- that you just don't find the candidate interesting enough to pursue further.
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Again, this argument fails for me, because it completely ignores that Obama burying the details of his message in a book released before his candidacy and then nowhere else is a form of limiting the dissemination of his message, which is exactly what other candidates have done (which was the original assertion).