The conventions of the Republican and Democrat parties in the US gave the opportunity to many economic and political analysts to observe how mass communication is evolving. Rhetoric and eloquence were once again the hallmark of political communication.
But is this enough to convince people that politicians really have the solutions to the problems that are troubling many people on both sides of the Atlantic?
Donald Trump adopts shock tactics and exploits popular frustration in a way that I have seen no other politician do so successfully.
He introduced a new element in political communications: hatred for minorities. He successfully convinced millions of people that more moderate politicians, even on the conservative side of the political spectrum, were impotent in the face of the challenges of terrorism and falling economic performance that are affecting large parts of the US.
Politicians who want to exploit popular discontent will find Trump’s speeches inspirational – even if they are devoid of any substance.
Trump’s solution is to isolate America, reverse globalisation, build walls to keep immigrants out of the country, and ostracise minorities at a time when what the troubled US and EU need is effective strategies to integrate minorities in western societies.
As one would expect from the Democrats the ability of Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton and even Bernie Sanders to appeal to the softer instincts of people ensured that the Democrats’ convention was characterised by the audacity of hope. This is no guarantee that Clinton will convince more people to vote for her.
The emotions we saw expressed in the convention arenas were those of people who simply adore the Clintons and the Obamas while at the same time find the scaremongering of Trump totally abhorrent.
Genuine empathy is obviously lacking in most political leaders in today’s western democracies
But this is just a small section of the US electorate.
Many have given up hope in their traditional politicians. They say that they promise heaven on earth in an electoral campaign but do little to make ordinary people feel safe.
In the past two decades we have seen political spin doctors scripting speeches that stirred the emotions. Style became substance in political communication. But when the economic woes started to hit home politicians simply lost touch with what ordinary people were experiencing as they saw their jobs being lost and their quality of life threatened.
The reality is that political spin may occasionally have a veneer of empathy for the plight of ordinary people but when politicians get elected and are more intent on making themselves richer than working for those who are most in need on support in the community, the fragile bond of trust between the electorate and their political leaders is lost.
Genuine empathy is obviously lacking in most political leaders in today’s western democracies. They try to compensate with a torrent of political spin built on a callous media driven strategy to be seen as being near those who are suffering.
We can learn from the troubles that other much bigger countries are experiencing by ensuring that our political leaders are genuinely working for the common good.
Politicians who enter politics to become rich are quickly identified by the electorate, even if they try to buy their allegiance through patronage and promises to deliver sweeteners that they may not honesty qualify for. But the silent majority is constantly passing judgement of such fake relationships between political leaders and the people they are supposed to help.
The politics of hope is not built on colourful rhetoric but on honesty and hard work. People simply will not buy into the plans of politicians who give the impression that they can solve most people’s problems through unrealistic promises. It is built on an honest acknowledgement that sacrifices will be needed to promote sustainable economic growth and genuine solidarity with those who cannot help themselves.
For instance, as in every society, in ours there are a minority of people who have lost hope in the future because they do not even have a roof over their heads.
How can a young couple start to dream about social mobility if they have to struggle to buy or rent a first home? This is not about encouraging a culture of dependence on state aid from the cradle to the grave, but about having empathy for those who have little chance of helping themselves.
Our political leaders need to have the audacity to bring back hope in the lives of ordinary people.
johncassarwhite@yahoo.com