Political campaigns are designedly made into emotional orgies which endeavor to distract attention from the real issues involved, and they actually paralyze what slight powers of cerebration man can normally muster.
Interpretation
Political campaigns often focus on emotional appeal rather than addressing important issues.
James Harvey Robinson's quote critiques the nature of political campaigns, suggesting that they are intentionally crafted to provoke strong emotional responses that distract voters from critical issues. This emotional manipulation can inhibit rational thinking and understanding, leading to a populace that is disengaged from substantive political discourse.
In practice
This quote can be shared during a political debate panel to highlight the importance of focusing on real issues.
We like to continue to believe what we have been accustomed to accept as true, and the resentment aroused when doubt is cast upon any of our assumptions leads us to seek every manner of excuse for clinging to them. The result is that most of our so-called reasoning consists in finding arguments for going on believing as we already do.
I think that it's a vital moment now for Russian democracy to convince people that it's only our actions, our joined actions and protests that could force Kremlin to reconsider its plans to abolish presidential elections.
Freedom of expression - in particular, freedom of the press - guarantees popular participation in the decisions and actions of government, and popular participation is the essence of our democracy.
Democracy only has substance if there's the rule of law. That is, if people believe that the votes are going to be counted, and they are counted. If they believe that there's a judiciary out there that will make sense of things if there's some challenge. If there isn't rule of law, people will be afraid to vote the way they want to vote.
Democracy is not just voting every 5 years and watching 'Big Brother' in between and wondering why nothing happens. Democracy is what we do and say where we live and work
We will keep the promise of Social Security by taking the responsible steps to strengthen it - not by turning it over to Wall Street.
The one state/two state debate is irrelevant as Israel and the US consolidate Greater Israel.
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