Happy, Pappy?

Nick Gillespie | January 4, 2008

reason cover boy (well, author of a cover story) David Harsanyi has a new column up at The Denver Post that draws on recent Gallup Poll data which finds that about 80 percent of Americans are "satisfied" with their personal lives while "more than 70 percent of Americans believe the country is headed in the 'wrong direction'" when it comes to politics. 

We don't like anyone in Washington. Many have pointed to this paradox as a way to dismiss the notion that we're truly happy at all.

Those folks, apparently, can't understand that only a minority derive happiness from government or politics. And, for the most part, those people are typically office holders taking great gratification in making the rest of us miserable.

The average American can compartmentalize their personal uncertainties and the troubles of the world. They have their own plan for the future - and presidential candidates have little to do with it....

Rather than uncovering a schizophrenic American, perhaps all this polling is evidence of a collectively even-keeled population. We don't like D.C., but we're perfectly happy with our lot.

More here.

Brian Doherty hung out with hangdog John Kerry fans after the 2004 election and counseled the sad sacks to remember there's a life beyond politics.

I gave a cheer to the "vanishing voter"--a.k.a. folks too busy to define themselves via partisan politics--back in 2000.

And for god's sake (and especially in a presidential election season), everyone should read Morris P. Fiorina's excellent Culture War?: The Myth of a Polarized America.

Comments

Edward|1.4.08 @ 10:26AM|#

The subtext of this post: Ron Paul zealots should get a life.

|1.4.08 @ 10:39AM|#

We don't like D.C., but we're perfectly happy with our lot.

IOW, violent revolution just ain't gonna happen here. The downtrodden poor don't want revolution in this country. There's just too many monetary and personal opportunities to ponder upsetting the apple cart.

Keep things in perspective. Think about Kenya, Pakistan and Russia. Two just had elections, one is about to(?) Bitch, gripe, complain and campaign, but we're not leaving the counntry or killing our neighbor if we lose, are we?

|1.4.08 @ 10:55AM|#

Edward, sweetiepie, you should leave these nice people alone.

The Wine Commonsewer|1.4.08 @ 11:06AM|#

.... those people are typically office holders taking great gratification in making the rest of us miserable.

Amen, Brah!

The Wine Commonsewer|1.4.08 @ 11:15AM|#

Edward, sweetiepie, you should leave these nice people alone.

Toward the end of Season 3, there is a scene in Lost where Ben takes John to a house in the forest where Jacob lives, introducing him to an empty chair, where supposedly Jacob is sitting. As John vents his anger at the charade, he is treated to a poltergeist show and he thinks he hears Jacob's voice, asking for help.

Like at Jacob's place, once in a whole a bunch of stuff flies around the room here at H & R, and you think Edward might have said something to you. But the chair remains empty.

Guy Montag|1.4.08 @ 11:42AM|#

Happy, Pappy?

LOVE the Seinfeld refrence! Unfortunatly, I have grown too feeble to remember the season, but the episode was about Jerry's income taxes and George's nutty CPA/grlfriend. Madcap funnieness ensued.

|1.4.08 @ 12:28PM|#

Ask Americans if they'd like free health care, and they'd overwhelmingly say yes.
Ask Americans if they'd like their taxes raised, and they'll set fire to your campaign bus.
Same old story.

ed|1.4.08 @ 12:30PM|#

This only proves what we've known all along: Johnny American can't think.

|1.4.08 @ 12:32PM|#

"The subtext of this post: Ron Paul zealots should get a life."

Edward sure spends a lot of time worrying about the Paulistas. We'll be just fine. Now you can go away.

|1.4.08 @ 12:43PM|#

I, unlike many Americans, am perfectly willing to despise and vilify my own Senators as well as the other ninety-eight.

|1.4.08 @ 12:56PM|#

Edward | January 4, 2008, 10:26am | #
The subtext of this post: Ron Paul zealots should get a life.

I noticed that you have gotten the first post on just about every thread so far today. A man who sits in front of his computer refreshing a blog constantly is in no place to throw stones.

Son of Sam|1.4.08 @ 1:29PM|#

Happy, Pappy?

LOVE the Seinfeld refrence! Unfortunatly, I have grown too feeble to remember the season, but the episode was about Jerry's income taxes and George's nutty CPA/grlfriend. Madcap funnieness ensued.

I think you've got your episodes a little mixed up there, Monsieur Guy. "Happy, Pappy" is from "The Engagement," the first episode in Season 7. Whole script here.

Guy Montag|1.4.08 @ 2:36PM|#

Oh yea! ty SoS!

The dognapping episode, precursor of the Michel Vick smearing in the media.

|1.4.08 @ 3:14PM|#

Ask Americans if they'd like free health care, and they'd overwhelmingly say yes.

True.

Ask Americans if they'd like their taxes raised, and they'll set fire to your campaign bus.

The trick is to make it sound like you're going to raise someone else's taxes. You know, all those "rich guys" will pay for it.

That's the thing about "free health care". It wouldn't be free if you had to pay for it, would it?

The same thinking is at work when people say they want subsidies for mass transit. It's not so they'll be able to take the bus but so all those other morons will ride the bus and there won't be as much traffic when they're out driving.

R C Dean|1.4.08 @ 4:34PM|#

The trick is to make it sound like you're going to raise someone else's taxes. You know, all those "rich guys" will pay for it.

I just heard some tool on the radio being interviewed about the populist resurgence (satellite radio, some national feed). She claimed that none of the Dems were talking about raising taxes. When called on this obvious lie, she actually admitted that they were planning to raise taxes on the rich, but that didn't count.