Tuning in

A big thing that people in politics don’t understand is how little attention people pay to politics.

We politicos dive in and swim deep in the daily river of news – every Breaking News flash, every headline, every talking head, every twist and turn in every story.

But most people take only an occasional dip in the river – and they don’t like the water.

Trump works this to his advantage. Every day – almost every hour – he throws out something new, flashy and attention-grabbing.

The more controversial, the better. The louder his critics scream, the better.

As Carter wrote last week, “Attention spans are short these days. Time’s scarce. And no one grasps that better than Trump.”

Trump has been a showman and in show business all his life. He gets how political communication works now.

President Biden didn’t get it. He thought people would pay attention – and show their appreciation – when he passed big legislation in Congress.

That’s how it was back in the 70s, 80s and 90s when Biden was in the Senate.

But the world of information changed.

Today, too many Democrats still think process, plans and policies interest people.

No, people want drama. They want combat. They want heroes taking on impossible odds, standing up to monstrous villains and vanquishing evil.

Channeling more Netflix and less NPR would help Democrats.