Low Expectations

Going back 150 years or so to Charles Dickens, the term Great Expectations had significance. Why not have expectations of success in life that were great or at least pretty good?

But of course Dickens was writing before the modern presidential campaign. On the eve of the first debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney we have generally been treated to a plethora of low expectations, with each camp's surrogates pooh-poohing their candidates debating abilities while complimenting the other (an exception has been Chris Christie who may have his own 2016 agenda).

The obvious reason for such ludicrous and even dishonest pronouncements--if the respective candidates don't trip on their shoelaces (or tongues) and don't emit any strange noises their side can (and you can bet will) claim victory. The low expectations will have been exceeded--how could they not?

So who falls for this nonsense? There are just so many truly undecided voters and they apparently don't really matter if they're not from one of the 7 or 8 swing states. At this point, you might be asking yourself why bother with the debates at all? In addition to making for riveting live television, there's always the chance for a major slipup--Richard Nixon  with his five o'clock shadow, Michael Dukakis fumbling a question on his response if his wife had been  raped and murdered. [Talk about low--questions concerning a candidate's fitness to be President shouldn't have to sink to that level].

Wouldn't it be a bit unusual if say product advertising dealt in low rather than high expectations? Imagine an ad for an automobile that promises minimum efficiency, mediocre gas mileage and has homely rather than handsome people portrayed as buyers? Would you buy that car with such extremely low expectations? Or would you "ask your doctor" about some rather frightening new medicine that only promises to possibly help you? Nowhere else but in presidential debates are  low expectations so attractive.

TNB will watch anyway. His expectation--nothing much will change.