If you were a curious and nationalist minded European person who wanted to better understand the dynamic of American politics, such an intentioned person would likely visit Washington DC to meet, understand and absorb the reality of USA politics. However, that approach, while familiar, would be a mistake.
A visit to the DC beltway would generate opinions and insights from the perspective of the federal government apparatus. Additionally, the U.S. politicians are going to repeat the policy agenda points that are debated and discussed. But does that approach really inform the curious visitor about how Americans feel, engage and interact with the government? The answer is no; the visitor would get the official skewed perspective, but leave without any understanding of how the policies described are actually considered by the American people.
To really understand the nature of how Americans view the political dynamic inside the U.S, as well as discover how the people would be reacting to policy or possible workarounds therein, the curious visitor would need to go to where the boots on the ground are – to the actual people who are engaging in American life.
The reverse of this scenario is also true. Traveling from the USA to visit Spain, Holland, Hungary or Belarus, and spending time with their political leadership, will only gain you a top-level policy outline of what those officials and politicians are trying to achieve. If there is a conflict between the official position and the actual reality on the ground, the curious visitor would never see it.
This dichotomy is the fatal flaw within the process of gathering information. Tucker Carlson or (fill_in_blank) cannot understand how/if the political policy transfers to the citizens by talking to the known leadership. What is happening on the ground could be entirely different, and that begins the conversation to a larger awakening.
