The Television Of Politics

So, here we go, here we go, here we go...

The UK airwaves are relatively full of politicians. Milliband, the Labour leader, who looks and sounds dreadful on TV seems to be doing well, whilst the ultra smooth Cameron seems to be running scared from the cameras, and the plethora of minority parties are changing the face of the dual system which has largely ruled British politics for centuries.

Recent elections in Greece, Israel and France have shown a predilection for extremists, even in the US the Republicans seem to have managed a polemicism which is depressing in the face of the demographics they should be courting. We are in a world of alienation and national exceptionism, from Russia, to Egypt, to Israel and the US, we have spittled hatred and a lack of common morality. The media loves this, of course. Consensus makes for very bad television.

And then there are the cliches. If I hear the words 'hard working families' one more time I will throw away my remote. How about 'hard working immigrants' or 'lazy British spongers'?

Everyone hates politics and politicians, yet we put them in place and support them. Perhaps the ballot should carry an 'anything else' option. And perhaps the media should get more real about how to cover the disfynctionality of politics in a way that resonates wih voters and not Oxbridge presenters.