With the passage of time, technological and mechanical innovation, and consumer desires and choices, certain items of our culture become obsolete or are dramatically re-engineered.
An old, wooden “ice box” that once held a block of ice and revolutionized the food industry became the basis for the refrigerator. Today, whether it’s our iPad, our laptop or smart-phone, written communication is instantaneous and mobile.
In 1960, a hand-held red rectangle with two white knobs on the front used to guide a hidden stylus that moved gray aluminum powder was introduced to the toy market. According to Ohio Art, Inc., the Etch A Sketch was such a favorite that it was introduced into the National Toy Hall of Fame during that museum’s inaugural year of 1998, and it made Time magazine’s list of “All-Time Greatest Toys.” Its appeal was in its utility; once one tired of an image, just a quick shake and the screen was ready for the artist to start anew.
Recently, this classic toy resurfaced in presidential politics. The idea by the political advisor was to address a different strategy that would be employed by his candidate after the Republican primary to appeal to a broader audience. Instead, the staffer made this statement: “You hit a reset button for the fall campaign. Everything changes. It’s almost like an Etch A Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and restart all over again.”
Despite the fact that the quote was made by a senior advisor for Mitt Romney, it could have been made by any number of politicians of any partisan stripe. This simple four-sentence quote reveals a few facts that should disturb the electorate on both sides of the aisle.