Do Facts Even Matter Anymore?

During a recent floor debate in the House of Representatives on a contentious issue, I began discussing the bill with some colleagues, both Democrat and Republican.

Without the spotlight of the cameras and the microphones, we engaged in an actual debate about the merits of the proposal, exchanging ideas in a civil and informed manner. Unfortunately, such exchanges are the exception, not the rule, in an environment where cooperation with the opposing party can be tantamount to treason and giving consideration to different viewpoints is often interpreted as weakness.

The sad realization is good ideas and real solutions often pale in comparison to a simple set of talking points and the ability to sell the sizzle instead of the steak.

It’s so much easier to follow a script to recite to the public than it is to have a real understanding of the potential impact legislation will have, both positive and negative. And when someone challenges the script, the blueprint is clear: Attack, attack, attack. Then attack some more. Self-righteous indignation, often covered in heavy layers of gushing claims of patriotism and liberty, becomes a justification for almost anything.

I have seen this scenario unfold in the state Legislature more times than I’d like to admit, and it makes me sick. The easy response is to blame the "damn politicians" and demand that everyone be voted out of office in a blustering demand to "take our country back," but we are ignoring a huge part of the equation that needs to be examined.

If we assume elected officials (both Democrat and Republican) perpetually feed the public self-serving, disingenuous and misleading sound bytes, which leads to discontent with "the system," isn’t the anger somewhat misdirected? If you throw all the bums out, regardless of what they feed you, what makes you think the new bums will be any different? If they’re feeding you the same garbage, you’ll still get just as sick.

Doesn’t it make more sense to demand better food, regardless of who is feeding you?

Not every problem has a 10-second solution, and anyone who tells you otherwise is insulting your intelligence. But our society now rewards the loud, quick opinion over the rational, documented fact.

Do facts even matter anymore? I deal with it every day—if someone doesn’t want to believe a fact, they just attack it with their own opinions as though we are all cable news “pundits” instead of members of a society.

I certainly don’t blame the public for the problem, but I do believe they are the best hope for a solution. Unless and until voters start asking real questions, and engaging in respectful debate that goes beyond the talking points, nothing will change. In fact, with the circus that is the 2012 Presidential Election looming large, it will likely get much worse.

You shouldn’t agree with everything a politician tells you; if so, realize that he or she is almost certainly just telling you what you want to hear. But it’s how our elected officials deal with the disagreements that should serve as a real measure of competence and commitment to the public they serve.

Informed debate is good. Considering opposing viewpoints is not "flip-flopping." Facts are not opinions, and opinions are not facts. Listen and think before you needlessly attack.

If elected officials, the public and the media cannot accept these basic ideas, the odds of raising the level of public debate in America are virtually nonexistent, and how does that help anyone?