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About this quote

What does it mean?
Vidal defines democracy cynically as a costly process with meaningless elections and interchangeable candidates.
In plain terms
Democracy is just expensive elections with no real choice.
What can you take from it?
Elections without real issues fail democracy.

Where it applies

  • voting
  • political reform

Putting it to work

  • demand issues
  • analyze candidates
  • engage locally

Questions to consider

  • What makes an election meaningful?
  • Is democracy failing?

Another view

It dismisses the value of voting entirely without offering alternatives.

More from Gore Vidal

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  3. Class is the most difficult subject for American writers to deal with as it is the most difficult for the English to avoid.

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