News-Record.com

The following is a Counterpoint piece:

By Steve Peet

It’s pretty clear that America, still the white-hot center of aggressive consumerism, bought new: the shiniest, brightest, most elegant new we could find, maybe that’s ever been.

After bombardment by billions in advertising lashed to billions more worth of television, radio and Web programming, we were force-fed campaign insight on a molecular scale. So, not an impulse buy. This was a considered purchase.

We weighed our options and each’s ability to tackle the stinking pile of stool accumulated in a flamboyant swirl on the current occupant’s to-do list — the kneecapped economy, corruption, war lies, brooding and confrontational far right (kind of like the far left in 2001), incendiary Middle East, juggling two wars, bailout, unemployment, health care — plus the stuff we don’t know about yet.

We looked at this as we considered choices, one predictable but fidgety, uncomplicated but rigid, bull-strong but apt to turn rank and dangerous quite regularly, and we said, eh, we’ll take That One. The other one. The cool, new, nimble one. Republicans are pleased, no?

“Go shopping” has, after all, been the Republicans’ go-to solution from 9/11 onward. So we did as we were conditioned.

We shopped. For almost two years we shopped, and when we were fairly certain and unanimous in our purchase, Republicans, oddly, tried to snap us out of the shopping spirit with a barrage of disclaimers. Few things can crack conditioning. Fear can, or could.

Too bad for McCain that the outgoing administration rode that horse into the loam. A good lesson for marketers: Don’t go to the well too often. America doesn’t like it.

We apparently also don’t like crazy, and that McCain would take his strongest advantage over Obama’s “experience” and squander it by choosing Palin screams wacky. There was more, but that was all it took. We bought new.

Like our last new purchase, this does not come with a warranty. Unlike our last purchase, however, this one isn’t “as is.” This model comes equipped with adaptive auto correct that adjusts and learns from mistakes and will even seek out and consider differing commands than its own, a feature that will confuse and frustrate the neocons but is seen by the rest of the world as a precious upgrade that alone trumps all second thoughts and concerns for buyer’s remorse.

So, thank you, Republican Party, for your ceaseless drumbeat for consumerism. It’s made us into smart shoppers.

The writer lives in Greensboro.