How Brett Favre Teaches Us About Politics

I decided to go back through my social media feeds for mentions of recently released Taliban prisoner Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. My N=1 findings match those of this Vox piece regarding the about-face done by many of Bergdahl’s fiercest advocates.

It may be an excellent example of cognitive dissonance and balance seeking at work. This is something we all can catch ourselves in. Or, as I call it, the Brett Favre problem.

Yes, this guy teaches us about politics.
















The “Brett Favre” problem:

1. Packers fans love Favre.
2. Favre joins the hated Vikings.
3. Packers fans need balance. 

How I stay informed

I know what I'm about to say makes me sound like a lunatic. I know that I spend a lot of time keeping up on the news both because it's part of my job and because I like politics. That makes me different than most people. But I face the same problem that all of you do, too. You see, it's difficult to be informed these days. 

Two facts about our current media environment make it difficult to be informed about politics. The first is that there is so much information available from so many sources through so many media. The second is the growth of ideologically slanted reporting and pseudo-news programs that involve a host going at it with a player from the other side. Good entertainment, but not a lot of usable information.

My strategy: read widely, read quickly, read critically.