This morning’s blast is not about our opinion on what the messaging is all about, since that confusion is what we are trying to figure out based on the messaging itself, not any criticism of the figures involved in what the messaging is about. Rather, it is an attempt to follow how and why the messaging is manufactured.
Technology has changed things, and caused us to blink when the device on some of our wrists buzzed before midnight last night. It was an alert from someone who feeds information to a broadcast disseminated to our phones and apparently our watches.
It was a warning about something called “turbidity” in the water supplied to the District of Columbia and our section of what used to be the District across the river in Virginia’s Arlington County. We were startled enough by the bold letters in the darkness and the mild vibrations in the night.
We naturally had do a quick wiki search for the definition of the word to determine how alarmed we should actually be. Was this a terrorist attack? Was the wonderful Washington Aqueduct that provided our water apart from the brown Potomac River under assault? We were prepared to boil our drinking, cooking, tooth brushing and other water, and to discard any ice made in the fridge after nine last night.
At the end of another search through the web, we saw that the Corps of Engineers who monitor the Aqueduct was not blaming Global terror, but rather something they called “algae blooms” upstream. Unraveling the message and it’s actual meaning was a nice representation of the impact of the messaging in progress all around in this emotional electoral season.
There is a bunch of it, as you know. The one is progress now is partly a manifestation of the conclusion of the Supreme Court’s decision season. There is controversy aplenty on that. And the Debate, the fallout from which is still falling upon us. All of us at the picnic table are eligible and registered voters, and naturally engaged on the dramatic issues confronting us all.
That is why we are interested in the fact that we are talking about none of them, and instead presented with messaging on the health of someone in the middle of it who is apparently only tangentially engaged in any of the really big issues in progress: the economy, inflation, the border, and the state of the world in which we have a major role.
The controversy now is not on any of those, but rather whether an elderly man with apparent health issues should be returned to one of the most demanding jobs on the planet for another four years of stress protecting us from trouble.
That would be worth talking about, so the messaging is about not talking about that, much less the trouble he is supposed to be dealing with. That led to an extended discussion about who might actually be dealing with them, or the wisdom of the policies that have led to the issues themselves.
Generally, the Administration might be considered to be a body of around 500 skilled professionals, hired on partisan orientation. That is too unwieldy a body for the actual decision-making. That would be a much smaller number of people. One of unknown size- perhaps twenty or so. Of those, central guidance might be a very limited number, none of whom are elected, of course, or even known specifically by name or function.
Except for a spouse and a child with his own problems.
You can sense our unease, since that seems to be a fundamental change to the way our Government is supposed to be structured, the one founded on this day 248 years ago.
There was an example of the messaging yesterday. Our Section Leader DeMille had assigned Splash to stop celebrating our birthday and cover a televised event from the White House, and try to capture what occurred. He was grumpy, but it had no purely partisan aspects to be discussed, and was intended for other purposes.
At the production meeting this morning- a short one, since there was drilling, outdoor activities and preparations for fireworks over the capital to get to. He shoved his tablet device to the middle of the table, the screen glowing with characters:
“Medal of Honor Ceremony at White House”
Event was quite remarkable on many levels.
Reason: Campaign in crisis and long overdue historic honors presented before National Holiday for positive visibility.
Subject: Highest military honor awarded to two Union soldiers for gallantry in 1862. They have been deceased for a century. Medals were presented to an elderly descendent and a young vibrant female Warrant Officer in uniform.
Timing: Not related to act of gallantry or recipients, but perhaps inspired by impending demise of elderly descendent and opportunity to display active Cief Executive
Location: White House. No transit except from Oval Office to briefing room.
Text: Bold statement on Union heroics. Interesting to raise it with Swing state polling in play since it portrays ex-Confederate states and soldiers as villains.
Participants. Age of one recipient made President look younger and more vigorous than the ancient male descendent who accepted the MoH for his grandfather. Young uniformed woman other recipient for ancestor. Narrator of citation was distingished two-star General, man of color.
Length: Less than 10 minutes. Medication a factor? President seemed alert, less agitated than at the extended State of the Union address or the NC campaign appearance which lasted only 18 minutes. The poor performance at the Debate, attributed to a cold and jet-lag from a trip more than a week before. Problems with extended public events remedied by this eight minute performance controlled with two large clear teleprompter screens. Those devices, clearly displayed only in a brief cut-away shot by UPI are large and permit the close-ups of the President appearing to look at the audience rather than the screen to the right or left of the podium.
Optics: Make-up well done with less artificial “tan” than NC appearance which drew comments. Good close up view for camera, slightly disrupted when camera panned back and revealed the size and proximity of the two teleprompters that provided remarks for broadcast.
Forecast: Good set-up for long holiday weekend with diminished commentary and will work to President’s advantage with major decisions looming. old Joe’s advantage. Impending interview with Stephanopoulos interview will not be live and on tape so the product can be edited. Messaging will assure us everything is fine.
DeMille pushed the ablet back across the table and nodded, saying softly: “But that is what the messaging is supposed to do. He waved his wrist. “Like the buzzing on the left wrist of those who remembered to charge their watches just a moment ago.”
The tiny words shown bright as he waved his arm under the clear blue sky. “Water is fine! Don’t worry about a thing!”
Then apparently the buzzing stopped. We are pleased we can start drinking before lunch today- at least the water- without any disapproving messaging about it.
Copyright 2024 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com