Diana Mutz is a political scientist from the University of Pennsylvania who studied the effects on public opinion according to the tones of talk shows and political debates. The result was clear: heated debates not only captured the audience more than civilized discussions, but also made people remember each candidate’s positions more. The best way to inoculate the messages is therefore with a harsh tone based on the clique to the rival.
It is clear that the politicians of this country do not need to resort to specialized studies to know that the most disrespectful interventions, which deteriorate the educated rival the most, are the ones that attract the most attention, generate an audience and encourage the discredit of others. As it is proven that this seriously deteriorates the quality of democracy.
Last Sunday, Jordi Turull, general secretary of JxCat, went to Fontanilles (Baix Empordà) against Salvador Illa, first secretary of the PSC, which will be said to be part of the rules of the political game, at the gates of a electoral campaign that everything indicates will be very contested.
And it can be argued that, being Illa the candidate to beat according to all the polls, it is logical that Turull tried to distort him. He said that he had a vocation as a civil governor, which is not exactly a form of courtesy, but also the concept does not correspond to someone in favor of amnesty. But beyond this tone departure, he described Illa as the “no to everything that comes out of Catalonia” candidate.
Let’s see, let’s see. If we have not misunderstood, JxCat did not vote for the budgets of the Generalitat, despite the fact that they meant a billion for the drought and substantial increases in health, education, housing or culture. And they didn’t even have the Hard Rock excuse, as used by En Comú Podemos, because they are indeed in favor of this initiative.
Clique politics is, unfortunately, here to stay, but what doesn’t seem admissible is accusing others of one’s own flaws. The only luck for Turull is that thanks to the north wind his words were carried away by the wind. And find out where they must have gone.
