Unfortunately, our present time in the United States greatly resembles that of the times in "The Waldo Moment." People are tired of politics, tired of the falsity of politician's words, and tired of the lack of change. The people of the United States have been perpetually promised, each major election, that a candidate will fix their problems, and push for laws to be passed (or not be passed) to improve the American people's lives. Much is expected of the U.S. president, but little is given in return.
A major issue with this sort of perspective is that no single president has as much power as one would think. The power of the government is spread out over far more people than just one. Frustration lies in the fact that it takes an incredible amount of time to get tasks done and to get laws passed, but it safeguards the American people from too much power in one or a few people’s hands.
The issue faced in “The Waldo Moment” is people are exhausted and callous towards the candidates presented to them in a specific election, but the novelty of Waldo gives the people a voice to express their frustration. Waldo is a manifestation of their anger. He is a character and bears none of the perspective of a real person; he takes on the opinion of the people who support him most.
In some ways, Trump serves that same purpose. He is a person but he presents himself as a sort of character, saying outlandish things and causing ripples in all people. He serves as a conversation topic regardless of your feelings towards him. For people who support him, he gives voice to their anger felt towards the changing American society and economy. For those who protest him, he gives voice to the people whom they find the most fearful.
This time for the country is obviously disheartening, and it causes much unrest among many demographics. Thankfully, the power of the president is limited, but that does mean he cannot push his agenda, and perhaps succeed. But then again, he is notorious for being volatile and saying hateful and racist things, but then the next moment, he seeks to assuage those same people that he has spoken so terribly about. Honestly, no one can say what he will do, we can only hope that it all turns out for the best, and if not that, perhaps just not the worst.
5 comments:
Trump definitely said insulting things that caused an outcry among voters; however, to some, he was speaking the truth. Trump gave opinions on issues so that he could win the election. Time will tell if his comments remain consistent.
A vast majority of Americans have grown tired of not being heard but the people they elect into office and whether you agree with Trump or not, he has definitely resonated with a group of people who felt unheard by politicians before this election year.
I really like what you said about Waldo being a manifestation of voters' anger. I feel like Trump definitely filled that role. Trump also brought anger out in both his supporters and his followers. People felt that they were angry with him or they were angry at him. Hate is too strong an emotion to be let loose no matter what side it is on. Hillary and Trump both used this anger and called it righteous, but hate is never righteous.
I do agree with the idea that Waldo is mainly a concentration of the anger and frustration from the public. It explains why so many members of the public find him funny. He is a the voice box of the public's distress. It also explains why so many people will even perform violent actions encouraged by Waldo (Monroe being hit with a shoe and Jamie being attacked). This concentration of power makes Waldo a dangerous obstacle.
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