Does Anybody In The Real World Truly Care?

[Beloved Citizen]

I talk to a lot of people in my line of work. Basically I'm on the phone with people all day long, and you know what? Not a single person brought up the topic of Reagan's passing today.

Has this been your experience?

For most people politics and the affairs of our leaders is just a small part of the white noise that fills the back round of their lives. TV shows, pop tunes, advertising, movies, products, and the passing of presidents, it's all part of the same steady diet of dubious information received from a world only experienced in the most remote of ways.

Or so it seems to me.

Now of course the right is attempting to use the death of Ronald Reagan to sell their rabid and reactionary agenda. An agenda that contains things that would have revolted the man they are now so cynically attempting to deify. Reagan might have put forward a lot of policies that you and I never agreed with, but deep down inside he possessed a level of reason and moderation clearly alien to those who now so disingenuously claim to be the guardians of his honor.

And it will take a little time to undo the damage being done, both to the issues we care about and to the true memory of Ronald Reagan. But in a world where the messages undergo a constant and rapid change, things will repair themselves. We are right, our message is good, our candidate is vastly superior to theirs, and we will prevail.

John Kerry will be in Simi Valley tomorrow to pay his respects, and my biggest regret is that I cannot be there with him. My respect for the Democratic Candidate for President has never been stronger than it is now. He clearly understands what is important. His quiet dignity and courage in the face of the white hot barrage of lies and slander being hurled at him is truly admirable. In times as politically debased as these, his decency seems heroic.

My advice in these troubled times? If current events seem unbearable and grim, step back and take a deep breath. If you don't like what you're seeing on TV news, or reading in the newspapers, or even seeing here on the DU, take a week or two off. Go read some history. Because when you come back everything will have pretty much changed. And what seems so pressing today will be a distant memory tomorrow.

[qwertyMike]

1. Me too

I talk to people all over the US as part of my job.
Nobody mentioned Reagan today. But one guy did mention Bush - he said he was a disgrace to his country. Caused so many problems.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

2. Even here in Repub TX, I barely see it being discussed. I agree that the

media frenzy is completely out of proportion to the significance of the event. No doubt it is a big news story. But a WEEK of wall to wall coverage? Come on.

[Cleita]

8. Kinda really pushes Laci Petterson and Kobe Bryant right back there.n/t

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

3. same here

joe six pack doesn't care, either. the reaction here was more or less, "reagan's dead, eh? (breif pasue) oh well"

the national grief we're experiencing is as make-belive as leprechans and a liberal media bias

[I thought so.]

4. I'm not surprised.

Reagan has been out of the news for so long. If you had asked about him 6 months ago,it would be; Gee isn't he dead?

[seabeyond]

5. you are right

i have chatted with a handful of people and besides brother mouthing of the greatest preident evahhhhhh, in sarcasm, i havent heard anyone mention reagan, just asked husband working all day with all kinds of people and he said not one mention. wow, that is interesting, so funny

[candy]

6. The media types have to do SOMETHING to justify those big ---

fat paychecks and this death is right up their alley.

If Reagan hadn't died it would be Scott Peterson and J Lo's latest wedding.

It's like a feeding frenzy!!!!!!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. Same here

We had a family gathering at my place on Sunday, and I fully expected my Republican brother to drop Reagan's name at least once. To my surprise and relief, he didn't say a thing.

Today I was out and around, riding the city buses to get where I needed to go. I've heard plenty of political opinions on buses both in Portland and in Minneapolis, including a freeperish old man last week who raved about how the "liberal press" was vilifying "the greatest president we've ever had" who was "showing those t****heads who's boss."

But today there was nothing. Nor did anyone seem particularly dejected.

I remember how subdued everyone was after Kennedy's assassination, and from what I've heard, there was genuine, widespread mourning in Minnesota after the Wellstone crash.

There is nothing even close to public mourning or even public glumness evident today.

[dweller]

10. self delete

got it.

[troublemaker]

9. Nobody cares.

He's such an anachronism it's like Stonewall Jackson just died or something.

In fairness to the cable news networks, though, their audiences are so small that temporary 24/7 interest from a tiny nut groups (like slobbering Reaganophiles) is a big deal for them, so they're just following the money.

And the networks are subject to FCC extortion, so don't expect any profiles in courage there.

[Beloved Citizen]

11. Good Point

The country's attention rate in the face of the torrent of competing information out there has become badly fractured. Presidential funerals are now left to the cable news niche.