Sun. Feb 16th, 2025

From fourth power to party

November 11th 2024 , ,
Photo: Pixabay

The United States elections of November 5, 2024 produced a surprise result. Candidate Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris with relative ease, and the Republican Party took the majority in both chambers of Congress. 

The polls left much to be desired. A very close result was expected, and several days of waiting were predicted for the results. And yet, within a few hours of the end of the elections, the results were already clear. Regarding the popular vote and the votes in the electoral colleges. 

The American election campaign, like that of many other countries, left much to be desired. The tone in which they address each other, the recurrent disqualifications and the interference in personal matters is disappointing. The era of social networks and the immediacy of information have contributed to this climate of disrespect that undermines the majesty of institutions and takes away much of the necessary authority. It seems that instead of choosing the best of the good, the least bad among the worst is chosen. 

This election result in the United States gives rise to several reflections. The first is the low reliability of the polls. And this statistical error may have as a partial cause, greater or lesser, the perception that the media generated in everyone. A good part of the media considered serious, with a wide reach and influential, made the technical tie almost a reality. They showed their favoritism for one of the candidates and created an atmosphere somewhat alien to what was really being experienced, or not as predictable as they proclaimed. The reactions of some of these media after the results were known are eloquent. 

The influence of the media is not only decisive in the United States, its performance significantly influences the formation of opinions and decision-making. When this media is not obviously biased, when it maintains a certain impartiality, the electorate and those who have an interest in the processes have access to balanced information. Let us not be timid, of course each communicator and analyst has his own opinion and his own tendency, the idea is that this does not cloud their judgment, because voters are not stupid. They clearly perceive attempts at manipulation and even end up with a contrary opinion. 

It is a fact that there is a lack of deep and coherent ideological proposals from political parties. In the United States and in many other places. The source of political proposals, clear methodologies, and fundamental principles corresponds to political parties and politicians. When this does not happen, the void seems to be filled by professional commentators, those in charge of covering events, and those who form opinions. The Fourth Power, which once had an informative and controlling function, moves to a position of greater political influence, loses some or much of its objectivity, and becomes part of the electoral game by default or by conviction.

Perhaps the effect of a Fourth Power aligned with the Democrats and their progressive agenda was the opposite of what was desired. The superficiality with which some issues were touched upon and the vehemence in the confrontation in others, the insistence on imposing a liberalism that is accepted in certain sectors and is viewed with reservations in other very broad sectors and with less voice, produced a somewhat more basic reaction and rewarded those who spoke with perhaps simpler language. This phenomenon has occurred in several countries this year 2024, to the surprise of pollsters and futurologists. Could it be that those surveyed no longer express their true feelings in too high a percentage?

Mr. Trump focused on the problems of ordinary Americans: inflation and personal security. He repeatedly mentioned the slogan of making America great again, appealing to his country's feeling of imperial superiority and world policeman, just when there are merciless and long wars, when international institutions do not have the strength to impose their decisions or are very discredited.

The Fourth Estate acted in many ways as the missing political component that apparently strengthened one of the sides. In doing so, with good or bad intentions, it loses much of the power that is attributed to it. It goes from being the Fourth Estate to a party, or part of a party. It finally splits up…

Elias Farache S.

3 thoughts on “From fourth power to party”
  1. I fully agree with what has been written and described about what is happening in the USA. I hope that both major parties manage to change the tone of the elections, otherwise the debates, and even the governments, will not be worthy of the trust of serious people.

  2. Wow, they made the greatest discovery after the press conference, journalism has long since ceased to be what it “was”, the media are only companies that defend their own interests and those of their advertisers, and if they investigate further south they will clearly see how the hegemonic liars act hand in hand with another political party, the judicial party…

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