Whenever anything unexpected happens, there are unintended consequences. Such is the case with the coronavirus and its impact on American politics. Rallies are out, and for good reason. Whoever heard of a rally in which supporters had to comply with six-foot social distancing rules?
Debates without audiences are in. No more pandering to the audience; no more interruption of the natural exchange of ideas because some in the audience has to have their “Whoo” moment.
This is unintended good news for those among us who see ourselves as political introverts, or perhaps those who are not admitted political introverts, but prefer to keep their distance.
There are various terms used to describe introverts. One is “quiet.” Who thought that they would ever get to experience Bernie Sanders with the decibel knob turned down? (Well, I was wrong about that, based on the Sunday, March 15 debate with Joe Biden).
But with the “present normal” of politics, and not withstanding Bernie, we are less physically assaulted by sound waves. More of his energy can go into putting together thoughtful sentences rather than edgy slogans.
This is an excellent time for all of us to consider how we wish to be approached by those running for office. The Coronavirus has put the plug on rallies. It will be interesting to see if politicians can scale down their intensity and connect with voters in a way that is so vitally needed in these difficult times.
This story is cross-posted in the Occasional Planet blog.
