Voters impatient with Washington enabled by technology, says Miami University historian
...The impatience narrative is compelling because the world is in a constant state of change and the public expects speedy action. Yet lack of patience isn't anything new, says Andrew Cayton, a distinguished professor of history at Miami University.
What's new is the ability to grouse about it, en masse and instantly.
"Now, because of cable TV and phones and the Internet, it's much easier for that to get momentum across a wide group of people," Cayton said. What once might have been tribal or local dissatisfaction now becomes "a global phenomenon, almost overnight." And that hampers public officials' ability to deal with tough issues in a deliberative manner, he says.
It only follows that if Democrats haven't turned things around yet, it's time to try a new flavor, online tool or member of Congress. The initially slow progress of the Union Army during the Civil War would have crushed Abraham Lincoln's career, too, had the public had the means to chatter about it on the Web and cable TV.
"Today," Cayton said, "he'd be slaughtered."...
Read entire article at Cleveland Plains Dealer
What's new is the ability to grouse about it, en masse and instantly.
"Now, because of cable TV and phones and the Internet, it's much easier for that to get momentum across a wide group of people," Cayton said. What once might have been tribal or local dissatisfaction now becomes "a global phenomenon, almost overnight." And that hampers public officials' ability to deal with tough issues in a deliberative manner, he says.
It only follows that if Democrats haven't turned things around yet, it's time to try a new flavor, online tool or member of Congress. The initially slow progress of the Union Army during the Civil War would have crushed Abraham Lincoln's career, too, had the public had the means to chatter about it on the Web and cable TV.
"Today," Cayton said, "he'd be slaughtered."...