There should be another box you can check for "I have utterly no idea what you're talking about. Please, God, don't ask for my input." (The Next Mayor)

Kudos to D-Mac at Philly Will Do for pointing out this little cherry from the poll before I could get to it:

The follow-up question asks whose ads are most memorable? Not surprisingly, Knox is in the lead with 53%, followed by Bob Brady at 18%, Michael Nutter at 8% and Dwight Evans at 7%.

And, of course, following that is Chaka Fattah at 4%.

Fattah has, of course, yet to run a single television advertisement. Maybe they were thinking of one of those NBC 10 promos with Renee Chenault-Fattah.

Those of you who are West Wing junkies like me may recognize the quote from the title. It comes from an episode about a foreign aid vote that's in jeopardy because of a poll saying that 68% of Americans think we give too much foreign aid and 59% think it should be cut. Here's the dialogue that follows (via this site):

Will: You like that stat.
Josh: I do.
Will: Why?
Josh: Because 9% think it's too high and shouldn't be cut. 9% of respondents could not fully get their arms around the question. There should be another box you can check for "I have utterly no idea what you're talking about. Please, God, don't ask for my input."

My reaction was similar when I read the poll late yesterday afternoon. 4% of respondents remember seeing ads that were NEVER ON THE AIR. Now, I know it's close enough to 0% to be considered within the margin error, but I don't doubt that it translates to at least a few thousand people who fall into the "I can't get my arms around the question" category.

I wish, really wish, there had been a question on the poll that asked, "What is your primary source of information about this mayor's race?" And if "primary source of information" is too difficult to understand, how about, "Where do you get most of the stuff you know about the mayor's race?" I'd have offered these choices: television advertisements ("tv commercial"), television news ("Action News," since that's what everyone seems to watch), newspapers, internet, direct mail (or just plain "mail" to make it simple), word of mouth, or the internet.

I guarantee the tv commercial number would have been in the 80s.

I know I'm preaching to the choir when I say this but:

TURN OFF THE DAMN TV. Yes, I know - ironic advice coming from someone who quotes television shows on an almost daily basis but that's not the point.

Read a book. Open a newspaper - to the front part.

Figure out a way to learn as much as you can about each candidate and where they stand on each issue. Go to one of the 8 million mayoral forums that have been and will continue to occur between now and Election Day.

The candidates have actually been doing a fairly admirable job of talking about issues and the newspapers (and, at the risk of sounding too self-promotional) this project have been doing a decent job reporting on what they've been saying. Granted, we still indulge in giving the headlines to ballot challenges, poll numbers and fundraising totals, but the more important stuff is there.

People who claim to be "turned off by politics" or "not interested" (thanks to FFR215 for the video), need to realize that politics affects everything they do in their lives.

Student loan interest rates too high? Politics.
Street marred by potholes? Politics.
The war in Iraq? Politics.
Having to send your kid to private school because you'd never consider the local public high school? Politics.
Can't remember if your recycling day was today or next week? Politics.

I could go on and on.

Early on in this project I found a quote from Plato that's been taped to my computer ever since:

"Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber."

You don't have to run for office to "engage in politics" but you do have to give, at the very least, a rat's ass about the process.

I also realize the futility of expressing these opinions in a blog which is most likely read by people who already do give a rat's ass and more (a hippo's ass?). Guess I just wanted to vent a little. Feel free to join me or defend our fellow Philadelphians.

Comments (7)

Dave

Your efforts might not be in vain if you include a plea for your readers to engage their friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances, etc in discussions about the mayoral and council elections. I've done so a bit and have found that, by and large, most people are just to busy and/or lazy to have paid much attention. I've also heard some of the thought process behind what's being reflected in these polls. One person I talked to said something along the lines of "Street and the other politicians running this city are idiots. I hope that business guy wins. What's his name?" (that person, who had a strong dislike for Street, had never heard of Michael Nutter -- this was also long before Nutter's ads went on the air). Another person basically said "I saw some ads from a guy who's a congressman. I think I'll probably be voting for him" (the person couldn't remember his name. As close as I could figure, it was Bob Brady).

So, people, please bring this up in conversation. I've noticed that people in Philadelphia hate talking about politics, and many of them immediately look like they're trying to find a restroom if the topic comes up, but we need to change the culture of "uninformed and content" in this city.

Posted by Dave | April 5, 2007 3:55 PM

DC:

You made this plea on a blog specifically devoted to the mayor's race.

Talk about preaching to the converted.

Posted by DC | April 5, 2007 5:03 PM

Wendy:

Good for you, Dan.

If it assuages your anger a bit, Terry Madonna said he was struck by this:

77% Certain to vote

And this:

58% Very much interested (in the race)
34% Somewhat interested

There are still weeks to go in this race, and I do think people are just know starting to focus on who the candidates are and who they want to vote for. However, the stats on voter interest are higher in this poll than I thought they would be.

That is something. As long as they do actually vote.

Also, you know there are the people who know they are Fattah fans, and when any question is asked that they can answer, "Fattah," they do. And then there are the dopes. Those two groups gotta be at least 4 percent.

Posted by Wendy | April 5, 2007 11:48 PM

Tim:

As a former person who didn't give a rat's ass, I just want to say keep fighting the good fight. Indeed, people just need to take a look further than what they see on tv. I'll be trying to get people to at least know something about the candidates for the next few weeks.

Posted by Tim | April 6, 2007 10:07 AM

Steve W.:

While I certainly agree with your advice to turn off the TV -- except with regard to certain shows that come on WHYY's Channel 12 from time to time -- rather than pick up a book or newspaper, why not spare the trees and get out there and look upon the trees themselves? For you can learn an awful lot from studying them. Some trees get to grow and flourish naturally. And when it happens it's a beautiful sight to behold! Others, however, get vandalized. They never get to follow their natural course. And that's pretty much how I see Philadelphia politics right now. Some idiots vandalize the trees and they act like they're bringing the rest of us "enlightenment." And the same, too, of new homeowners who move into a neighborhood and cut that beautiful old tree down first thing.

But when you get out there and look at trees straight on it really is something magnificent to behold. And the wisdom they contain can far surpass the books and newspapers they get sacrificed for. As the Moody Blues sing in "Tuesday Afternoon": "Those trees are drawing me near, got to find out why"...

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