Grrrrr.
I am sick of this election season, sick of the political process, and most of all, sick of politicians.
All of them … even the ones I might vote for.
The political season is way too long. (How about if it starts in June before the November election?)
There’s too much dirty money involved.
And the electoral college is, in my judgment, a joke. (Reason: the presidential candidates only visit certain select states, never setting foot in North Dakota or Utah or Alaska … while visiting California and Illinois and New York to hold fundraisers so they can spend more cash in a small percentage of battleground states. Living in California, my vote never counts anymore … but with a national, winner-take-all race, every vote would count … and national candidates would be forced to visit more of this great land than they do now.)
Let me briefly tell you why I’m angrier than ever about politics in 2012:
First, candidates use moral terms like “right” and “wrong” and “good” and “bad” in their speaking and ads.
Of course, they are right and good … and their opponents are wrong and bad.
Give me a break.
If a politician has an economic plan, for example, how do we know it’s right or good?
And how do we know his opponent’s plan is wrong or bad?
Maybe the opposite is actually true.
Can we declare a moratorium on using words describing moral judgments for subjective processes?
It’s like saying, “If the coach goes for a field goal in this situation, it’s wrong.”
No, it’s not … but to state that there is only one position when there are other options is itself wrong.
Second, candidates misrepresent their opponent’s positions.
My wife and I watched all three presidential debates … although the third one was largely preempted in our household by a baseball game.
Every minute or two, I spoke to the TV and said, like a broken record:
“That’s not true … that’s not true … that’s not true.”
It’s one thing to go out on the stump and lie about your opponent’s position … but to do it on national television right in front of him?
What kind of sick, twisted people do we have running for office?
Maybe we should give politicians personality tests and throw out everybody who has narcissistic, anti-social (sociopathy), and paranoid personality disorders.
Of course, that might narrow the field down to … zero.
I agree with the pundit who said that every time a candidate lies, a bell should go off in the background.
Or maybe at the end of a debate, fact checkers could say, “The incumbent misstated facts 37 times, while the challenger misstated facts 24 times … and we’re posting our results on such-and-such a website.”
We have to do something to stop this blatant misrepresentation of another person’s positions.
Third, they claim to speak for us … and for me.
The phrase I detest most starts with a politician claiming to speak for “the American people.”
“The American people don’t want to go down that road.”
But maybe I do.
“The American people know my opponent’s plan won’t work.”
But maybe it’s better than your plan.
Whenever a politician says, “The American people …” the next thing he says will be a lie.
Why? Because the phrase implies that everybody agrees with the politician … but not all of us do.
It would be more accurate to say, “The majority of the American people want this” … but accuracy and political-speak are oxymorons … with the emphasis on morons.
Please, stop telling me that I am supposed to believe what you want me to believe. When you do that, you’re manipulating, not motivating.
And I refuse to be manipulated.
Fourth, most politicians treat Americans like children rather than adults.
If a political candidate shot his opponent on national television, the shooter’s spinmeisters would quickly appear to say:
“The gun wasn’t loaded.”
“The bullets from that kind of gun won’t kill a person.”
“He’s just faking … he’s not really dead.”
“71% of the American people agreed with what just happened.”
“This won’t hurt our guy in the polls.”
This is why I like Frank Luntz’ focus groups so much. Rather than hearing what a politician’s supporters think after a debate, I’d rather they hear what we think instead.
And the commercials … with the spooky voice-overs … the distorted photos of one’s opponent … the implication that the opponent is 100% evil … the leaps in logic … and testimonials from people you don’t know or care to know … insult our intelligence.
How stupid do they think we are?
Finally, crowds applaud nearly everything their candidate says.
If I can, I’d like to attend two political rallies that will take place near my apartment in the next few days before the election.
President Obama will be speaking in Concord, New Hampshire on Sunday … just a 15-minute drive from our place.
Mitt Romney will be holding a rally in downtown Manchester on Monday night … less than 10 minutes from our place.
If I attended one or both rallies, I might hear something like this:
“My plan will produce 234 million new jobs over the next 800 years!”
And people would mindlessly cheer.
“My opponent’s plan will send our country into a massive depression that will result in a hostile takeover of our country by an alliance of Greenland and Iceland.”
And people would still cheer.
Can’t people think? Do they just feel?
It’s like those teenage girls who hear a song and instantly start dancing to it … even though the lyrics promote all manner of evil.
If only all Americans started listening to the lyrics of their politician’s speeches instead of the tunes …
This is just a sampling of the anger I’ve been feeling since for many months.
Feel free to join in … without naming names.
What has made you angry this political season?
Restoring Kingdom Builders 
Here are two of the many things that make me angry:
1. The seemingly infinite junk mail I receive about every candidate running, and about every proposition on the ballot. It gets worse every year. What a waste! I don’t read any of it. I do my own research.
2. The way the press and other media treat presidential candidates like rock stars. I really started noticing this during the 2008 campaign. And the candidates love it-or they put up with it anyway, whether they want to or not. Don’t they have better things to do than visit Letterman and Leno? Who cares what Rolling Stone has to say about either one? Many have forgotten that we are voting for the person who will become the most powerful man in the world. Whatever happened to treating the office of President of the United States with dignity?
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I appreciate your comments, Ce Ce. It’s fascinating: we haven’t received any political mail because the post office hasn’t forwarded any of it to us!
As far as going on late-night TV shows, sometimes I think certain people want to be President of the Culture rather than President of the Country.
Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other mainstream publications are so predictable that we could write their articles for them. Maybe if the Times wasn’t such a propaganda rag, people might actually read it again. There is nothing worse than being able to predict the editorial stance of a publication. Why subscribe to it or read it if you already know what it’s going to say?
And I include conservatism in my last question.
Take care, Ce Ce!
Jim
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Jim, do you watch 60 Minutes? If you didn’t catch tonight’s episode, they did a decent piece on the failure of the current senate to get anything done. Try to watch it online if you can. They also interviewed David McCullough-and,oh yeah, Aaron Rodgers.
Yes, I also no longer watch commentary after debates and conventions. They are too predictable.
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When it comes to Americans and politics you said it right: Most voters feel; they don’t think. The politicians know this, and this is why they treat us like children. The best political campaign advisers know that it is better to show a candidate to be cool and caring than it is to show him or her to be thoughtful, well-versed, and articulate. American politics only reflect the status of the American people. We get the politicians we deserve. If you don’t like them, then stop voting for them. Personally, I don’t vote for these kinds of political morons any more. I will cast my vote for a third party candidate who more accurately reflects my values long before I will ever vote for one of these mindless, establishment mainstream candidates. The status of American politics will never change until good people start voting for good candidates. If you voted for Barack Obama or Mitt Romney today, you wasted your vote. What you voted for was for four more years of these same mindless games. You did not vote for any kind of meaningful or substantial change.
If you truly want to make a difference in American politics, then learn to follow the advice of our Founding Fathers. Noah Webster was one of our Founding Fathers who wrote these words in his 1832 textbook on American history: “When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers just men who will rule in the fear of God. The preservation of a republican government depends on the faithful discharge of this duty. If the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted; laws will be made not for the public good so much as for selfish or local purposes. Corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute the laws; the public revenues will be squandered on unworthy men; and the rights of the citizens will be violated or disregarded. If a republican government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws.”
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Joel, my friend, thanks for your comment. Just know that I read much of what you write. I really do think you’d have a great time writing a blog. Facebook can be limiting and some of your friends may not want to read your political opinions … but on a blog, you can do anything.
Just to clear things up, I didn’t vote in this election. Kim and I have been in New England over the past several months, and we expected that the Post Office would forward our absentee ballots, just like they’ve forwarded everything else, but alas, they never forwarded the ballots, so we didn’t get to vote at all. Wish I could have.
I like Webster’s words, but I believe each of us has to make the call as to whether a certain politician is “just” or “unprincipled.” I have voted for Democrats on several occasions, but I have always refused to vote for a RINO … and I once wrote in “Bozo the Clown” on a ballot for governor of California.
We all have spots we’re directing anger toward, and for me, it’s the mainstream media. I don’t blame them for Obama’s victory, but I blame them for not giving the American people the facts about Libya and for protecting the President from major criticism at every turn. By now, they would have found 18 scandals in the Bush administration … but surprise, not a one over the past four years.
Take care, and how about those Giants? Absolutely amazing!
By the way, Jeremy Affeldt goes to my daughter’s church in Alamo, and she has watched Affeldt’s baby. David Akers of the 49ers goes to her church as well.
Jim
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