1/ There are no “authentic” politicians, let alone “statesmen” or “stateswomen”. There are only Big Stories looking for Heroes, and people convinced enough that they are The One to persuade others. Don’t evaluate potential candidates, evaluate stories looking for actors.
-
-
7/ Big Stories currently looking for heroes/villains in the US:
#MeToo
Silicon Valley is Evil
Angry Puerto Ricans
Interesting non-candidates: climate change, extreme weather, rent-is-too-damn-high.
What makes a good Big Story?Show this thread -
8/ Needed features for a Big Story: A) Strong, dominant negative emotion B) A felt lack of agency C) Abstract* enemy who can be symbolized by a single person (if elite) or stereotype (if non-elite) * But not too abstract — “Chinese” is remote in a way “Mexican” is not
Show this thread -
9/ Curiously, a key requirement for a Big Story is *lack* of a corresponding little story for the candidate in question. As individuals, (as opposed to as roles in a story) they are featureless voids. Take out role-salient traits and you’re left with nothing. They’re pure masks
Show this thread
End of conversation
New conversation -
-
-
There are no people, only things
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.