[Election Digest] Collective Intelligence > Singular Intelligence

"The American people got left behind in this election a long time ago." —Adam Asher, "We Have Seen The Enemy..." Remember on Friday when we were like, man, nothing has happened in a while... Well, just a few hours later, The Washington Post published tapes of Trump and then people had feelings about "locker room talk," or if you like, "vigorous advocacy for sexual assault." That was one heck of a way to set the stage for another "public slaughter of the pretense of a civil and informed democracy," or, if you like, "debate." What did we see at the Town Hall debate last night? Something that was by turns strange, creepy, hilarious, and tragic, which is to say very on brand for 2016. You can make jokes about it—maybe it's even necessary to—but it also doesn't hurt to take a substantive look at the issues raised and consider what we learned. Because if I recall correctly, the premise of a democracy is that our collective intelligence is greater than the singular intelligence of a dictator or monarch. But in order for that to happen we must, you know, be collectively intelligent. Trump's latest implosion may be the final nail in the GOP campaign but that doesn't change the fact that our country is deeply unsettled, and deeply divided. Mood: Ugh. Mondays. —CW As election day nears, we're inviting different voices to share their thoughts and insights into what's unfolding in this presidential election. Carvell Wallace is a writer based in Oakland. Connect with us on: Get the Medium app: The views expressed here are those of the author, not Medium. You're receiving this email because you follow a 2016 election tag on Medium and are opted in to receive topic-based digests.

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