Sir, – The current US election race was perhaps among the most intense in terms of rhetoric, marked by an unprecedented level of coarse language and personal attacks. I surmise that this election may indeed have set a record for curse words, reflecting a shift toward a more confrontational political style, where candidates forgo decorum to connect with voters’ frustrations and anxieties.
This trend suggests that future elections may see politicians increasingly rely on blunt, unfiltered language to appear relatable or outspoken.
While this might make campaigns feel more authentic to some, there is a clear risk of lowering the standard of political discourse, as sound arguments and constructive debate are overtaken by sensationalism and provocation.
Such a shift may well change voter expectations, with authenticity and audacity becoming paramount – but it also raises questions about the long-term effects on the quality of political leadership and national unity.
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And as history shows, when America starts something, other nations are often quick to follow.– Yours, etc,
ENDA CULLEN,
Armagh.
Sir, – Polling inaccuracy in the United States is an unsurprising phenomenon in such a vast, divided and diverse country.
It is also an unsurprisingly under-acknowledged phenomenon where so much of American institutional life is driven by commercial imperatives and the monetisation of business reputations. Witness the conduct of the various “rating agencies” in the lead-up to the banking crisis which destabilised the global economy a mere 15 years ago.
As I write, the clichés hold. The US presidential election is “too close to call” and “every vote matters”. For what it’s worth, my hunch is that Trump voters are less enthusiastic about talking to pollsters and are marginally more likely to tell them untruths. So the polls are impaired by this latent defect, and on tied polling numbers, Trump may actually wipe the floor with Kamala Harris in the electoral college. Four more years. What a horrifying prospect. I hope that I am wrong. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL DEASY,
Bandon,
Co Cork.
Sir, – In his exploration of the world of entertainment-based wrestling (“WWE: A global success story where the villains are in plain sight”, Sport, November 2nd), Denis Walsh highlights the centrality of kayfabe, a term which is speculated to originate from the Pig Latin for “be fake”.
Wrestler Nick Rogers describes it as “the unspoken contract between wrestlers and spectators: we’ll present you something clearly fake under the insistence that it’s real, and you will experience genuine emotion. Neither party acknowledges the bargain, or else the magic is ruined.”
Is any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, such as presidential elections, purely coincidental? – Yours, etc,
PAUL REARDON,
Dublin 9.
Sir, – On the eve of a general election, we need to prepare ourselves for the usual expressions such as “the politicians are all the same”. We only have to look across the Atlantic to see how precious our democracy is.
We need serious debate and to consider the policies and manifestos of every party to inform ourselves before we vote. Otherwise our future is in peril. – Yours, etc,
THOMAS MORRIS GORMALLY,
Rathangan,
Co Kildare.