Baboons have curiously familiar ways of winning support. Patronage works. A baboon becomes alpha when his alliance is capable of overpowering the reigning baboon’s alliance.
Debates are structured to convey fairness, but the moderators are always Democrats. If the moderators were Republican, people would notice. Why are Democrat journalists presumed “neutral,” while Republican journalists are suspect of bias?
Such complex questions raised in simple terms, like they do in the debate on job creation, have less relevance to “regular people” who ask different questions in the privacy of their homes.
It’s easy to blame the candidates for the self-seeking tone of the discourse, but politicians respond to the mindset of voters. Psychologists helped create the mindset for the politics of greed.
There’s good news about energy supplies (increasing), economic innovation (thriving), and Third World democracy (all-time high). The facts about positive developments don’t get a lot of attention, but they’re easily available to anyone who wants them.
Being non-partisan means knowing when to open up and when to shut up. It does not mean winning arguments.
Brain chemicals cause herd behavior in politics. When a mammal runs with the herd, its brain releases a chemical called oxytocin. That produces a pleasant feeling, which motivates the mammal to.
