(Editor's Note: The following opinion column does not constitute an endorsement of any political party or candidate, on the part of Newsmax.)
Elections Have Devolved to Smoke and Mirrors, and Other Cheap Sideshows
Today’s electoral politics finds itself in stark regression.
A once-dignified method for choosing public officeholders is now nothing more than a raucous, hate-filled circus.
Circus? Perhaps carnival is the better descriptor.
A circus because of the crazy things that are happening and a carnival because sometimes those crazy antics are so amusing, or are they?
In democracies elections are essential and beyond defining moments in history.
You can’t have a democracy without an election.
The election season used to be just plain boring.
No controversy. No crisis. Assassination attempts were a comparative rarity.
In our contemporary age, especially as of late, our presidential election seasons, and sadly even at the local and state levels are anything but boring. This is not just happening in the U.S.
This year more than 50 countries, including in Europe, India, Mexico, and South Africa are holding elections.
Over a billion people globally will cast their vote this year.
Almost all these elections share the same ridiculous characteristics.
The major fear in all these elections is - disinformation.
In the US, both political parties fear disinformation and trade in it at the same time.
As disturbing as the disinformation situation was four years ago, it's far worse today.
The status has changed mostly because of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated material. AI has generated videos, sound-bytes still pictures, and news stories.
AI has hit Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and (Twitter)/X, in the form of cyberspace content swirling across the meta-sphere. Entire stories, from beginning to end, are fabricated.
They spin through social media and the fakes are even picked up posted and printed and reported by traditional news outlets.
Most young people today get their news from social media and almost everyone who reads news is exposed to some form of social media.
The political campaigns know this, and they are targeting every electoral demographic across social media all platforms targeting literally every single voter.
While once upon a time news was about objectivity today it is very much about subjectivity.
Political spin-masters, with creative spirit, with vim and vigor, weave together spectacular untruths post and spread them.
Some people are rightfully skeptical while others are tragically gullible.
But in reality the vast majority are in the middle believing some stories while questioning others.
As a whole, these untruths have poisoned the masses against media and by extension politics and elections.
People have become skeptical of all politics, campaigns, and politicians.
Can they be blamed?
Campaign strategists closely watch the uncommitted voter the undecided person.
But in many ways that uncommitted person understandably feels betrayed by countless media, in varying formats.
Compounding this is the perception, and most likely well-deserved on the part of the people, that blatant lies, erroneous spins, and obvious untruths go hand in hand with the resultant media sensationalism this engenders and subsequently generates.
As an example, the economy is better today than it was four years ago.
Everyone has been exposed to the farse and they’ve heard the lies.
Claims that the outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania attempted assassination, on July 13, was faked or its images fraudulent, or Trump's reaction was rehearsed — saturated and still poison social media
Is it any wonder that campaign and election anxiety and depression stand as an overarching presence, one impossible to ignore?
Psychologists and therapists are treating patients who exhibit forms of depression generated by elections.
Therapists claim that the numbers are far greater than you would expect.
The numbers for election anxiety and election depression for this election are far greater than the last.
They don’t give details and numbers they speak anecdotally.
There's no reason to not believe them.
Recalling 2016, following the Trump presidential win — Clinton supporters — seemingly walked around like zombies, engulfed by depression.
After Trump won in 2016 people really wanted to leave the U.S.
In Manhattan you could not mention Trump’s name on the street — it was as if he was "Voldemort" the villain from "Harry Potter" — whose name could never be uttered aloud.
Elections can be fun and should be fun.
Elections can and should be fun. Not a farcical global ill. Campaigns and elections should force people to engage with issues, at least for at least a few years.
They should not cause anxiety and depression.
We must repair the damage and return to a style where truth, issues and policies dominate all political discussions, especially those during campaign and / or election seasons.
Ferris wheels, magic mirrors, and sleights of hand should never be the backdrop for our politics.
Micah Halpern is a political and foreign affairs commentator. He founded "The Micah Report" and hosts "Thinking Out Loud with Micah Halpern," a weekly TV program, and "My Chopp," a daily radio spot. Follow him on Twitter @MicahHalpern. Read Micah Halpern's Reports — More Here.