It’s Complicated

We can handle the truth

Too often the phrase “It’s complicated” is considered a cop out. More often than not, it’s the truth. 

This chasm between perception and reality is particularly pernicious when it infects the way our politics is practiced and covered. We live amidst the resulting damage and it is staggering. 

We should know better. One of the inescapable truths that comes with adulthood is that the world is complicated — a labyrinth we must navigate. As we grow up, we have no choice but to confront inconsistencies, contradictions, and problems without easy or even imaginable answers. 

In our everyday lives, complexity is everywhere — familial relationships, careers, our health.

Do we speak to our loved ones in sound bites? 

Do we reduce major life decisions to a catchphrase? 

When we stare at ourselves in the mirror, are we mostly thinking, “Wow that’s the obvious answer?” 

And what about the thoughts ricocheting in our mind when we toss and turn unable to sleep?

When it comes to our government and the state of the world, “It’s complicated” is certainly an understatement. Take any topic that dominates today’s headlines — the economy,  immigration, the climate, public health, public safety, the Middle East, and on and on — would any thoughtful person deny how complicated these subjects are? 

In news reports about these topics, there is often nuance and complexity. But when we are talking about the realm of the political press, that seems to largely evaporate. Slogans and soundbites are the preferred currency. And politicians are trained to deliver accordingly. Certitude and simplicity are treated as the characteristics of leadership. Acknowledging uncertainty and complexity is too often treated as a sign of weakness. 

This creates a dangerous feedback loop between elected officials and the reporters who cover them. Contending with the realities of what it means to do the job of governance is reduced to such a degree that the truths upon which voters should decide who will represent them disappears in a sea of empty rhetoric and facile promises.

These forces act like evolutionary pressures that promote politicians who care nothing about the mechanics of running a nation. And in this environment, distortions and outright lies increasingly carry few if any penalties. 

To be a responsible steward of government, and certainly at the level of president, one must wrestle with complexity. How should one weigh priorities? When do you compromise? How do you balance competing interests or respond to a multitude of threats? Who are your advisors? What if there is conflicting advice? What ideas do you trust? 

Over the course of our nation’s history, our government has grown more complex because our country and modern society is more complex. We have federal departments for key issues like labor, transportation, justice, environmental protection, education, housing and urban development, state, and so on because these areas are complicated and can’t be run directly out of the White House. 

Covering politics as a horse race, however, renders all of this moot. All that matters is what gives you a leg up.  

Consider the two candidates for president. Both have had the job. One delivered on divisiveness with no interest in policy. The other has delivered on policy in ways that benefit the entire nation. One ran roughshod over our democratic norms; the other has sought to protect them. One bloviates about untenable and destructive approaches to nearly every challenge that faces this country; the other has tried to work constructively to address multiple crises, often seeking compromise with the opposing party in Congress. One wants to break the government, sever overseas alliances, and distract the electorate with lies and animosity. The other seeks to have our country stabilize itself at home and abroad in ways that can unite our national polity and improve the lives of all, regardless of party affiliation. 

To be sure, there is a lot one can find to criticize Biden. But at least he’s trying to do the job. And that means confronting a complicated world. And yet, many in the press parrot his political opponents. They wonder why Biden hasn’t fixed immigration (nevermind that the issue has long stymied presidents of both political parties). They report breathlessly on fears of violent crime (nevermind that the data doesn’t back up the panic). And they wonder if Biden will ever be able to tame inflation (nevermind that the United States is doing better economically than almost every other country in the world). 

We must also consider the pesky facts that Democrats don’t control Congress. Consider issues like abortion, Ukraine aid, gun safety, you name it. Biden and his party are ready to pass popular legislation, but Republicans would rather run on what is broken than try to fix it. Further complicating our world is a Supreme Court run amok, creating an added level of chaos. 

I fear our current media ecosystem of social media scrolling and partisan news outlets only exacerbates a political environment that eschews nuance for stoking raw emotions. It certainly makes business sense to appeal to people’s base instincts. 

But one thing that has struck me in my decades of journalism is that people can deal with complexity if you give them the chance. They know things aren’t simple because life isn’t simple for anyone. And I think acknowledging that can help bridge our divides. In my work in science communication, there is research literature that shows that the public trusts science more when scientists acknowledge complexity and uncertainty. 

President Obama was often criticized in the press for being too “professorial.” But he won two elections by wide margins. Biden has a very different style, but he also speaks to voters as adults. He tries not to get sucked into whatever is trending in the moment.

He should face tough questions and his policies should be scrutinized. But let’s not pretend that the world is simple. Because it’s not. 

Everyone of voting age should know that. And I think most do.