I’m interested in the military campaigns of Emperor Nicephorus Phocas and I’m pretty sure I know more about them than you do. In fact, I’d be surprised if a dozen people in the whole state can equal my knowledge of the subject.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, so what? Good for you. This is exactly the right question to ask. This knowledge is not a product of brilliance. It is the product of interest. None of my relatives, wives, girlfriends and friends have ever expressed the slightest interest in the subject and I’m certain that if I ever raised the subject, they would drift out of the room.

My point is that interest is subjective and that most voters are not that interested in politics. It’s not that the voters think political campaigns are unimportant. It’s because they find the Red Sox, hockey, stamp-collecting, snowmobiles, steam engines, antique autos, ballet dancing, celebrity shenanigans, and several thousand other things more interesting.

There are any number of things which could make the voters better informed, but I can think of nothing which will make them more interested. I repeat: Interest is subjective. It is not a product of rational calculation.

I have to admit that years ago I thought I was superior to most of my fellow citizens because I was more interested in, and better informed on, politics, but maturity has corrected that illusion. My interest in politics is balanced by ignorance of a wide range of subjects familiar to the majority of my fellow citizens.

I played football in Farmington High School, but have been paying my annual dues to Athletes Anonymous since 1958. Born and raised in Maine I was naturally aware that the Red Sox is a baseball team. But, despite nearly 40 years of exile in New Jersey I had no idea that The Devils was a hockey team until 2005. Until then I thought that The Devils was a nickname for the Yankees.

Lots of people know something about the mechanics of their cars. Common sense tells me that this is important, but I’ve never been interested. Got my license in 1984. Bought my first car in 2003. I know it has an engine, but for me that is little more than a rumor. My idea of maintenance doesn’t go much beyond putting that little red needle on “F.”

Am I making myself clear? I feel free to accuse most voters of being ignorant of politics, but I acknowledge that they know all kinds of things of which I know little or nothing.

Much as I enjoy sneering and jeering at America’s political farces and follies, I have to concede that much of the behavior of professional politicians is conditioned by the voters’ lack of attention. They feel compelled to try to break through their indifference and leave an impression by catchy slogans and memorable sound-bites; by “staying on message” to the point of monotony; by flashy graphics and colorful “action photos”; by avoiding specifics that can make them vulnerable to attack and sticking to vague promises.

The wisdom of the political hacks who draw huge salaries boils down to the KISSSM principle —“Keep it Simple Stupid, for the Simple- Minded.” Mencken’s Rule summarized the science of electioneering almost a century ago: “No politician ever lost an election by underestimating the intelligence of the American voter.”

In my view things are a good deal more complicated and qualified than that, but as long as the professionals -—hacks and candidates—- believe differently, don’t expect campaigns to be conducted at a very high level. This may infuriate voters who take an intelligent interest in an election, but they can’t blame the problem entirely on the politicians. Majorities are not built from people who are interested in politics.

Professor John Frary of Farmington, Maine is a former U.S. Congress candidate and retired history professor, a Board Member of Maine Taxpayers United and an associate editor of the International Military Encyclopedia, and can be reached at: jfrary8070@aol.com.