The Sirens' Call

In this chapter, Hayes examines the historic Lincoln—Douglas debates as a powerful exemplar of democratic discourse and public attention in a pre-digital age. During the fall of 1858, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas engaged in a series of debates that captured the nation’s focus, transforming a local Senate race into a national spectacle. Hayes highlights how these debates, despite their lengthy and dense rhetoric—often lasting three hours—drew large, rapt audiences and elicited intense public engagement. He explains that the debates functioned as a formal “attentional regime” (120), establishing clear rules that regulated when each candidate spoke and how audiences directed their focus. This structured exchange not only allowed for the detailed discussion of complex issues such as slavery but also set the stage for the modern concept of public discourse, where the ability to sustain collective attention is crucial for persuasion. Hayes contrasts the sustained, deliberate focus required in the debates with today’s fast-paced, fragmented communication, noting that while modern media tends to reward brevity and rapid shifts in attention, the Lincoln—Douglas debates exemplify a form of civic engagement where depth of thought and prolonged concentration were paramount. Ultimately, Hayes uses this historical model to illustrate the importance of attentional frameworks in public life—frameworks that enable democratic deliberation by ensuring that complex, substantive issues receive the focused discussion they deserve.