In recent years, the Portuguese have learned to live in a democracy, becoming aware of politics and its action.
 
Nowadays, the majority of the Portuguese know that politics concerns the government of men and the administration of assets and, particularly, the organization and direction of the states. Whether it considered science, art or ideology, it is respected as something necessary in the actual evolving level of humankind.
 
Although it is necessary for humankind in general, politics doesn’t require prior attention and an exclusive dedication from everyone. The Portuguese have become used to not spending too much time and energy in politics, but they have learned to be attentive and to fulfil their civic duties.
Perhaps because of this, elections are normally very well-attended. In a democracy we are all responsible for the way the country is governed, since we have the right to vote. Even when it is difficult to choose the best, at least we have learned to choose the most reasonable or the least bad, so that no one else should choose for us.
 
Politics has progressively stopped being looked at in a fanatic way, it is now rationally thought over. Many Portuguese have stopped being ashamed of making different choices in presidential, parliamentary or local elections. Even in the elections for the same political organs, many people are proud to make different choices intelligently, mainly according to the time and the men that serve the different political organizations.
 
Curiously, it seems that the choices the Portuguese have been making have to do more with people than with programs (or other things). Besides, partisan programs are very similar, both on paper and, above all, in practice. And this is not a local phenomenon. In several European and American countries the choice seems to be more and more for the person.
 
This selection of candidates is often made difficult due to the politicians' marketing campaigns, which try to hide their mediocrity and praise their sometimes only potential qualities.  A lot of rhetoric, some colour and some demagogy can confuse the electorate, who are looking for competence.
But maybe we have to admit that politics, in time, will become a phenomenon of less rhetoric and more competence, promoting the interests of the whole and minimizing the interests of the party.
 
 

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