Thread:
Thinking about the late @UWMadison political scientist Murray Edelman's book "Constructing the Political Spectacle." It can help us understand what's happening. Edelman argues "political language is political reality," something the president understands well. 1/

Political leaders use language to construct and reconstruct problems to build support for a regime. One might focus on a name of an undesirable condition: terrorist, stolen election, evildoer, Axis of Evil, etc. 2/

Naming helps gov't to rationalize often contradictory behaviors: the war will be a "long slog"/it will be swift, a "shock and awe" and we will be "greeted as liberators." Or, the election was stolen from me in the states I lost but was fair in the states I won. 3/

Edelman argues that focusing on one problem can minimize others. Too many demands from Black Americans to not be killed by law enforcement? A pandemic that continues to worsen? Expansive economic inequality? Well, the election was a fraud and we must rise to stop it. 4/

Since most people don't feel like they can participate meaningful to change things, Edelman argues, we buy into the spectacle where good leader fights evil enemies for us all...like a president saying he can't be bought because he is rich and all other politicians are a swamp. 5/

When language becomes reality and leaders are constructed as heroes to solve invented problems, like voter fraud, it becomes very difficult, Edelman argues, to adjudicate facts. This makes some folks more likely to accept what their leader tells them, no matter the evidence. 6/

These constructions build hope and fear in ways that keep most folks docile and participating by watching. These constructions keep us from meaningful organizing and participation. They allow leaders to create messages, shared by media orgs with complicity. 7/

The spectacle is not partisan. It just constructs and reconstructs itself to stay alive. 8/

What helps? Edelman doesn't offer much, but he does suggest that satire can pierce the spectacle, so @dannagal on the scholarly side and @StephenAtHome on the TV, a nation turns to you. No pressure. 9/9