I’m sure I’ve ranted about this already in the past, but it happened again last week. I think it must’ve been the impeachment hearings. A Republican dimwit said something like “The American people wanted Donald Trump to be President…the American people don’t want impeachment…”
No, you dolt, not the American people. It was SOME American people that wanted Trump to be President. SOME Americans don’t like the idea of impeachment…other Americans are fervently hoping and wishing for it.
To be fair, this happens on the left too. I will frequently hear optimistic commentary claiming that the American working class supports progressive policies–and I so, so wish that were true. But many in the working class are against ideas like single payer healthcare and increased taxation on the wealthy, even though this essentially means they’re going against their own interests. Saying that the American people support Bernie is just as unrealistic as saying that the American people support Trump.
The point is, the phrase “The American people want x” is useless, because there is no such thing as a united American people at the moment. No matter which side you’re coming from, about half the country will oppose you. And not just oppose you in a reasonable, thoughtful kind of way–but more like oppose you in a hair-on-fire, I-want-you-to-die kind of way. Right now, slightly more than half the country hates Trump. (I’m part of that half, and I do think there are good reasons to dislike him.) If a Dem gets elected President (which I really, really hope happens, and have already started working for), slightly less than half the country will be actively rooting against them, and hoping for them to fail. I don’t know what kind of saint could perform the miracle of making that division go away. Jesus would get crucified all over again for being a socialist, so it wouldn’t be Him.
Don’t get me wrong, I do understand why that phrasing gets used so much. Politicians want to create the impression that all or the vast majority of Americans support whatever idea they’re trying to promote. And since when do politicians care if what they’re saying is actually true? There are also non-politician citizens who badly want to believe that it’s only a small crazy fringe which disagrees with them…after all, their views just make so much sense, right? But it’s extra disingenuous to be saying this at such an extremely polarized time in our history.
I know it doesn’t sound nearly as impressive to say “Well, about half the people are behind me on this…and large sections of the country don’t like what I’m doing.” And it could be deadly to one’s political career. So, we will have to continue to put up with political leaders speaking for “the American people” in their entirety, even though all of us who are in touch with reality know this to be a lie. We are not one American people, and will not be for a long time.
At least, not until the next time somebody attacks us. Because nothing binds a people together and puts an end to internal strife like finding a common enemy. So, on that fine day when we find someone we can hate more than we hate each other, we will be able to once again say “The American people are completely in favor of destroying…”
eurobrat 
12/09/2019 at 1:16 pm
Spot on. I had a political science professor in college (this was in the eighties, mind you) who used to like to laugh at the number of politicians who would start a campaign speech with,”The time has come…” Platitudes are useless in politics because they mean nothing.
The polarization that currently exists seems to be based not so much along economic lines but upon cultural ones. Trump’s hardest-core support comes from the very people who are being hurt by his policies. But they love how he speaks their language; they love how he mocks and ridicules the intellectual establishment. And you’re right: liberals (amongst whom I count myself) are living in a fantasy world if they believe they can correct the ills by getting control of the White House. The divisiveness will continue. I heard Biden today on the radio speak about how he’ll get both sides talking to one another again. Okay, Joe, whatever you say.
12/09/2019 at 2:38 pm
Yeah, I would love if that were possible. Our country would be better off if people were willing to at least talk to each other about policy. If Joe gets elected, what we will immediately get are endless investigations into Ukraine. (Unless the Congress is controlled by Dems, I guess–but even if it is, that won’t last forever.)
12/09/2019 at 5:10 pm
It’s the bandwagon part of propaganda. Tell folks that ALL Americans are in favor of, or against something, and they’ll want to be part of the club. That’s the premise anyway.
12/09/2019 at 8:19 pm
Yeah, by now I should really no longer be moved or surprised by the dishonesty of politico-speak. And yet it still grates on me! So much stuff that just isn’t true, and the people saying it KNOW that it isn’t.
12/10/2019 at 4:58 am
And that stuff is internalized and repeated by those who blindly follow.
12/10/2019 at 1:53 pm
Yep. Causing us to have to hear that lie over and over and over and over…..