Amid widespread concern that American political discourse has become less substantive and less civil, often devolving into personal insults, the question of why political elites engage in divisive rhetoric has continued to puzzle the public.
A new study offers a provocative explanation: The answer, quite simply, is media attention.
“The core finding is clear,” Jacob says. “Personal attacks are strongly associated with greater media coverage but show no correlation with fundraising, vote margins, legislative success, or personal wealth.”
Developed within the Polarization Research Lab, a research initiative studying political division in the US and around the world, the study appears in PNAS Nexus. Its authors introduce the concept of the “conflict entrepreneur”—a legislator who disproportionately levels personal attacks on the integrity, morality or intellect of their peers.
Why won’t the Democrats give more hugs to the pedophile defenders? Why bring up all that child rape stuff? It’s plain mean spirited. Just stick to the facts, Jack.
It’s all theater, like Harris said when asked about her criticism of Biden during a debate
It’s for getting viewers, of course.
Politicians such as this are perfectly fine with calling a guy a viewer doesn’t like a dickhead on live TV. The viewer can’t, but this politician can. And the viewer could respect the politician for saying what the viewer can’t say.
