Civility does not pay - Essay Example

Civility Does Not Pay Peoples’ article ‘Civility Doesn’t Pay: Hot Rhetoric Draws Cash’ considers donations in the political spectrum. The central argument in this text is the notion that uncivil or sensational political acts are linked to increased prosperity through higher political donations. In establishing this argument a number of tangible links between uncivil behavior and political prosperity are demonstrated. These elements are contrasted against a House of Representatives that is calling for a new order of civility in the political sector.

Still, with the many examples of uncivil behavior being beneficial to politicians, Peoples contends that Congress will not get their wish. In terms of specific case examples, the article begins by discussing Christine O’Donnell. O’Donnell is noted as stating that the extension of unemployment benefits is akin to the attacks on Pearl Harbor. After these statements, it’s noted that O’Donnell won the Delaware Primary and received an influx of campaign donations to her website. This last point is highly significant to the article, as the connection between uncivil behavior, political donations, and Internet technology is another prominent argument.

In these regards, the article indirectly argues that the ease of access the Internet and websites afford to immediately donate to political campaigns is particularly viable when the politician makes uncivil or sensational statements. Another notable feature of these contentions is that this trend marks a new model of campaigning that has been implemented by both right and left leaning politicians. In terms of left leaning politicians, one prominent example occurred as representative Bernie Sanders launched a long-term filibuster, gaining him the nickname Filibernie.

In addition to gaining increased campaign funds, Congressman Sanders witnessed a strong increase in his Twitter and Facebook followers. The contention is established that such uncivil behavior also takes on a variety of forms. While O’Donnell’s rhetoric occurred on Fox News and Sanders in the House of Representatives, Joe Wilson is noted for shouting out ‘You lie’ to the President of the United States during the President’s health care speech; similar to the other politicians, Wilson witnessed a strong increase in campaign funds and political support.

The main contention, in these regards, is that it is not so much the type of uncivil rhetoric that is implemented, but the size of the stage that it is implemented on. The final contention is that such rhetoric has a parallel in the American media, where such entities as Rush Limbaugh and Fox News have implemented this sensational rhetoric to boost ratings. The final contention then is the indirect assertion that the media sector has now influenced political rhetoric and campaign strategies. ReferencesPeoples, Steve.

Civility Doesn’t Pay: Hot Rhetoric Draws Cash