Electioneering Hell
There are several things I don't like about the time of year I refer to as electioneering hell.
I can't stand it when all the candidates have to do is snipe at each other via TV ads. You'd think they could have at least sprung for different announcers for those commercials. I have voted for people just because they didn't do that. Bad reason for voting for them, perhaps, but... if the others have nothing more constructive to do than point out each other's faults, the one that says, "I believe in this and would work toward this" without pointing fingers going.... "hey look at him/her and don't notice I'm being an idiot to hide my own faults," is probably the better choice.
The cries of get out and vote... they get old after a while. For the record, I did not vote in the general election, yesterday. I did, however, take the time over the course of this year to vote on several issues that effect my community and state. Interestingly enough, the majority voted for a smoking ban in certain buildings in town and to lift the ban on sales of alcoholic beverages in stores in the county. This was a dry county. I stepped up and voted against an amendment to the TX state constitution to ban same sex marriages/partnerships. Much to my annoyance, that passed.
One day people are going to wake up and realize that once one person's freedom is chopped into, it's only a matter of time. Remember that old poem about "when they came for me no one was left to speak?"
And the last thing on the list... people are always bitching about what's wrong with the government. Stop bitching, get off your ass and run for public office. Maybe you will learn it's not as easy as you think to be running any sort of government.
It's like I have said before, the pickin's at election time are always slim. Those that would make a good President, don't run. Those that do run can always look forward to every Tom, Dick, Harry, Jane, and Mary pointing out their faults.
DO YOU WANT THE JOB?
I surely don't, I watched what's probably the last "honest" man we had in the Oval Office age rapidly over the course of his 4 year term. Jimmy Carter is who I'm talking about. He didn't win another four years. I think that had a great deal to do with Ronnie Raygun saying he'd nuke (or send troops into, I forget) Iran after the hostages. Reagan was a decent President despite having the beginnings of Alzheimer's. He poked fun at his own failings before the press could.
I'm always reminded of Doc Brown in back to the future...
Dr. Emmett Brown: Then tell me, "Future Boy", who's President in the United States in 1985?
Marty McFly: Ronald Reagan.
Dr. Emmett Brown: Ronald Reagan? The actor?
I can't stand it when all the candidates have to do is snipe at each other via TV ads. You'd think they could have at least sprung for different announcers for those commercials. I have voted for people just because they didn't do that. Bad reason for voting for them, perhaps, but... if the others have nothing more constructive to do than point out each other's faults, the one that says, "I believe in this and would work toward this" without pointing fingers going.... "hey look at him/her and don't notice I'm being an idiot to hide my own faults," is probably the better choice.
The cries of get out and vote... they get old after a while. For the record, I did not vote in the general election, yesterday. I did, however, take the time over the course of this year to vote on several issues that effect my community and state. Interestingly enough, the majority voted for a smoking ban in certain buildings in town and to lift the ban on sales of alcoholic beverages in stores in the county. This was a dry county. I stepped up and voted against an amendment to the TX state constitution to ban same sex marriages/partnerships. Much to my annoyance, that passed.
One day people are going to wake up and realize that once one person's freedom is chopped into, it's only a matter of time. Remember that old poem about "when they came for me no one was left to speak?"
And the last thing on the list... people are always bitching about what's wrong with the government. Stop bitching, get off your ass and run for public office. Maybe you will learn it's not as easy as you think to be running any sort of government.
It's like I have said before, the pickin's at election time are always slim. Those that would make a good President, don't run. Those that do run can always look forward to every Tom, Dick, Harry, Jane, and Mary pointing out their faults.
DO YOU WANT THE JOB?
I surely don't, I watched what's probably the last "honest" man we had in the Oval Office age rapidly over the course of his 4 year term. Jimmy Carter is who I'm talking about. He didn't win another four years. I think that had a great deal to do with Ronnie Raygun saying he'd nuke (or send troops into, I forget) Iran after the hostages. Reagan was a decent President despite having the beginnings of Alzheimer's. He poked fun at his own failings before the press could.
I'm always reminded of Doc Brown in back to the future...
Dr. Emmett Brown: Then tell me, "Future Boy", who's President in the United States in 1985?
Marty McFly: Ronald Reagan.
Dr. Emmett Brown: Ronald Reagan? The actor?