Send me to rehab... I'm a junkie!!!
No, not drugs or alcohol and not even the kind of rehab that David Duchovny is in (wouldn’t mind having that problem, though!). I am a political junkie. MSNBC, CNN, even Fox News… you know, for the “fair and balanced” view. I watched as much of the Democratic National Convention and I could and I plan on doing the same for the Republican one.
It’s not that I’m trying to make up my mind who to vote for. That ship sailed long ago. It’s that I am fascinated by the whole process. I love to see where loyalties are placed and misplaced, who is repeating the party line and who steps outside the box. I enjoy trying to figure out the strategies and why the powers that be do the things that they do. I am addicted to the way the pundits analyze every word and nuance of a speech and the way the members of the different parties try to spin things their way. I crave the sound of Chris Matthews voice as he throws question after question at the person in front of him. I need to hear the stuttering and floundering as the candidate or surrogate is knocked off their talking points.
When the debates start, I’ll follow the action like I’m watching Federer and Nadal at Wimbledon. I’ll hang on every word and cheer at every lob and volley and groan at every double fault, just waiting for that one over head smash. I’ll clap for my champion and heckle the opponent while my kid and the cat peek through the door, wondering if I’ve gone crazy.
And in November when it’s all over, I’ll either be jubilant or angry at the outcome, but either way, I’ll feel the effects of the binge of the previous months. There is no cure or remedy for the political hangover that is sure to come. I’ll walk around in a daze for a while until things go back to normal as I remember that it’s only two years until the midterm elections. Not that I get the same kind if high from those, but the fix is enough to tide me over. I think I need help.