Pedestrian is a privilege

We’re not going to complain about the campaign this week, because it turns out there’s plenty of people doing that for us.

Step forward Greg Sheridan (“This is the worst election campaign I’ve ever seen”), Ross Gittins (“This election is one of the worst I’ve seen”), and The Guardian’s First Dog on the Moon (“Is this the worst most boring election campaign ever?”). 

They all offer somewhat varied takes on the same theme - that against a backdrop of global angst, technological revolution, and social fracture, the two major parties have retreated to uninspiring retail politics designed to offend as few people as possible.

The premise is undoubtedly fair, and you’d be hard pressed to find someone who has been inspired and uplifted by the last three weeks. Last night’s debate only underpinned the point.

But… 

A forgettable campaign isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, to be pedestrian may well be a huge privilege. A largely transactional election is surely preferable to a poll where the future of the nation is on the line - we only need to glance across the Pacific to see that.  

That’s not to say there aren’t more dangerous structural issues at play here, but for now, perhaps we should count ourselves lucky to be able to bask in glorious indifference.

P.S. Six weeks ago we discussed the return of diss tracks and speculated how long it would be before brands got on board. But we were wrong. It’s so, so much worse.