Political Evisceration

I live in Northwest Arkansas where chickens rule. Don Tyson and Tyson Inc. is one of the world’s largest chicken producers and chicken farms and related enterprises are an essential part of the local economy. In the processing plants, “eviscerator” is one of the job titles and these poor souls have the task of gutting the poor fowl as he heads toward our dinner table. One good natured insult we “high brows” can trot out to friends is that they are only talented enough to look for work as an “eviscerator”.

Well, the Democratic eviscerating machinery is now working on Paul Ryan. It was watching this intricate, well-oiled mechanism spring into gear when Ryan was named on Saturday. And now he is being carved up like a Christmas turkey…to switch my metaphor.

Now my point here is not to praise Ryan or his party. I’m a liberal Democrat. My point is the mindless and ruthless evisceration by the media and that of course draws on the antipathy springing from the political process. Sure, Ryan’s positions need to be viewed critically. But the petty, relentless fury of this criticism makes it appear like Ryan is merely a piece of red meat that has been tossed to a pack of hungry dogs.

The focus needs to be on the values reflected in the positions of the candidates and their parties. And, focus on values always amounts more or less to a spiritual enterprise. But the subtleties of a spiritual enterprise will not score big with the “bread and circus” mentality of us news consumers