Competence? Or Spewing?

By Shlomo Maital  

    Once upon a time, we voted for political candidates based on their competence and their vision for a better future for all of us.

     This has changed.  In today’s New York Times, Frank Bruni reveals that the candidate for North Carolina Governor, Mark Robinson, is a rank anti-Semite, has no qualifications, no vision – but is viral in his ability to spew hatred – and gained prominence with a vicious speech about the right to carry guns.  His rival is named Stein, Jewish,  qualified, competent,  but…may not win, as Robinson appeals to the darkest sides of N. Carolina voters.  Stein and Robinson are in a dead heat.

      We know this phenomenon well here in Israel.  The bloated 30-minister far-right government of Netanyahu is riddled with ‘ministers’ with no competence or experience – but with incredibly loud mouths, and skill at ‘spewing’ hatred, extremism, tribalism.  Many are women, though not all.  And their do-nothing ministries are being given billions by the Finance Minister from the National Zionist party, B. Smotrich, who in polls is running well below the 3.5% electoral threshold (his own voters think he is a disaster). 

        The definition of ‘spew’ is:  to send or cast forth with vigor or violence or in great quantity:  a volcano spewing out ash.  We are knowingly electing volcanoes spewing disastrous hot lava filled with hatred, racism, tribalism, partisanship and rank lies.  These candidates become prominent solely through their ability to spew. 

         Spewing should be a strong reason NOT to vote for them.  In these troubled times, it seems to be a necessity for electability.  E.g., Trump is the Master Spew Champion.

          Why in the world do we vote for these people?   Love trumps hatred everywhere…except, it seems, in politics.

           What a shame.