A Chicken For Every Pot
Or, perhaps, a swimming pool for every town.
“A Chicken for Every Pot” was attributed incorrectly to Herbert Hoover, although it was used in a campaign ad for Hoover in 1928. Hoover was well known for exaggerated campaign optimism.
The swimming pool “promise” was more correctly attributed to Andrew Moore, a candidate for Mayor of my current town of residence, Erie, CO. The attribution was hard to deny, as it was accompanied by a lovely photo of a lovely pool. The campaign promise was implicit and shamelessly manipulative.
The under-recognized truth is that neither Moore nor Hoover has or had the power to deliver chickens or pools, even if they wished to do so.
These kinds of false promises, aided by astonishing levels of citizen ignorance, have turned elections at all levels from exercises in civic responsibility into exercises of civic futility.
In a long-form article I wrote for Yellow Scene Magazine in 2022, I cited the following dismal statistics:
A mock exam conducted by The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation in 2018 revealed that two-thirds of Americans could not pass the United States Citizenship Test. Even worse, 81% of those under age 45 failed.
Sixty percent don’t know how many justices sit on the Supreme Court. Only 24% know why the colonists fought the British. And just for humor, 2% believe climate change caused the Cold War.
From a 2022 poll:
92% of Democrats believe that former president Trump threatened democracy with his post-election actions.
Only 19% of Republicans believe that to be true.
61% of Republicans believe Trump won the 2020 election.
48% of Americans between 18-29 believe voting doesn’t matter.
Only 34% of Americans are confident that major newspapers and television stations are accurate and fair.
Only 7% get information from a major newspaper; 1% from a local paper.
58% of those polled believe our constitutional democracy no longer works.
According to Pew Research, the United States ranks 32nd of 36 countries in terms of voter participation by those of voting age.
A more recent display of ignorance came via a MSNBC segment featuring Alex Wagner with a focus group of Pennsylvania union members.
When asked for a show of hands among the 40-50 group members, a single palm rose in response to, “How many of you know what the Dobbs decision was about?” No woman raised a hand.
Answer after answer from the crowd reflected inaccurate Trump campaign talking points. “Trump is better on the border.” Border crossings were higher under Trump. “Harris caused inflation.” Inflation is down under Biden-Harris. A great many comments were equivalent to Trump’s assertion about pet-eating Haitians: “I saw it on TV.”
When so many Americans have their heads under blankets of propaganda, it’s hard to get them to see the light.
As to chickens and swimming pools, the glaring absence of civic knowledge allows political campaigns to make promises that won’t be kept. This is not a partisan matter, as declarations of “I will . . .” are inherently dishonest, no matter the political affiliation of the declarer. In nearly every instance, the promiser hasn’t the capacity to effectuate the pledge, no matter the sincerity of belief.
Donald Trump will not build a wall or get Mexico to pay for it.
Joe Biden could not cancel most student debt.
JD Vance cannot and will not lift the middle class.
Kamala Harris will not expand tax credits or lower drug costs.
Donald Trump will not replace the Affordable Care Act.
Herbert Hoover had no chickens and . . .
Andrew Moore won’t build a swimming pool.
The kind of civics education offered in (too few) schools touches on the three branches of government, but is absent any useful contemporary context or nuance. Even those in the slim segment of the population who could pass a citizenship test have a cursory knowledge of the sausage, but no understanding at all of how the sausage is made.
In response to Elizabeth Willing Powel's question: "Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?”, Benjamin Franklin replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
These days he might answer, “A republic, if you deserve it.”
I’m not so sure we do.
I don't know, Steve, I used to have great respect for you, but you've become indistinguishable from standard-issue BlueMAGA cult libs. All you're doing is parroting the new liberal line about "learn civics" as a way to relieve Democrats from actually having to deliver anything. There was a time when liberals celebrated what leaders like FDR and LBJ did for the people, but now it's just "The president can't do anything for you. Grow up and learn civics." Lame. Sad and lame.
Also, voting doesn't make a difference, at least not a positive one. We've gone from liberals protesting the abuses of the Bush administration to welcoming the Bush administration into the Democratic party. No thank you.
Oh, and mainstream media? You mean the people who lied us into war in Iraq and who are to this day lying us into war against Russia, China, Iran, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and on and on and on. Apparently you've decided you like war. Not me - my values are still the same, Orange Man or no.
But, I'm sure you're like Diane Ravitch, whom I also used to respect. You're in the cult now, so it's clear that it's not worth arguing with you. Thank you for years of thoughtful posts about progressive education, but I'm unsubscribing now. Have fun living in fear of the Orange Man.