Politics... Ugh
Been doing some reading of blogs and thinking about the upcoming election.
In the end I am disappointed. It seems the more I think about it the more that the debates and voting have become a reality show to most, like Survivor, people are looking to vote for the candidate who creates the most drama and yet makes it to the end.
I am saddened that John Edwards did not make it to the end. I was very impressed by his stance on the debate I first saw, while Obama and HRC were tearing at each others' throats and flinging accusations and poo like screaming macaques he reminded the mediator that the debate was not about who was the biggest baddest monkey in the jungle, but about what their stances were on the issues at hand. He kept a level head, he did not promote or condone their over-dramatic spectacle, he wanted to discuss the issues. He isn't in the running anymore.
I've heard some things recently about Edwards, primarily that he cheated on his wife. I am of the opinion that cheating on a spouse does not a bad leader make. While it is a horrible thing to do, it is a personal matter to be handled by his wife and himself. She knows of his indiscretions and has chosen to forgive them and work toward a continued and improved relationship. She must be a very tough and level-headed woman to take an event like that and make it into a life lesson, to use it to recover a marriage rather than an opportunity to throw a pity party and rant about what an awful man she married.
People make mistakes, it happens, no man, woman, or child in this world is perfect. I think it's time we accepted that, and stopped being so high and mighty as a populace and acting as though we are above making mistakes. What mistakes have you made? Who have you hurt in your life?
Are you so perfect as to point the finger at any of these candidates and state that they aren't good enough to run your country because of their past mistakes?
Isn't it time we stopped listening to the drama and finger-pointing and started thinking in terms of what mistakes the candidates have made already and what they've learned from them that will benefit us as a nation? What they can do for the nation, rather than how bad they can make the other guy look?
I was not going to vote this year. I was not going to vote because it seemed to me that none of the candidates were worth being voted for, the whole lesser of two evils predicament. Now I think I'll go back, and examine the debates, ignore the bickering and negative talk about each other. Try to find out who had something positive to say, who had a plan worth voting for. It won't be easy, that's for sure, I will have to sift through a lot of garbage to get to the good stuff, but hopefully it will give me a glimmer of who is really worthy of my vote.
In the end I am disappointed. It seems the more I think about it the more that the debates and voting have become a reality show to most, like Survivor, people are looking to vote for the candidate who creates the most drama and yet makes it to the end.
I am saddened that John Edwards did not make it to the end. I was very impressed by his stance on the debate I first saw, while Obama and HRC were tearing at each others' throats and flinging accusations and poo like screaming macaques he reminded the mediator that the debate was not about who was the biggest baddest monkey in the jungle, but about what their stances were on the issues at hand. He kept a level head, he did not promote or condone their over-dramatic spectacle, he wanted to discuss the issues. He isn't in the running anymore.
I've heard some things recently about Edwards, primarily that he cheated on his wife. I am of the opinion that cheating on a spouse does not a bad leader make. While it is a horrible thing to do, it is a personal matter to be handled by his wife and himself. She knows of his indiscretions and has chosen to forgive them and work toward a continued and improved relationship. She must be a very tough and level-headed woman to take an event like that and make it into a life lesson, to use it to recover a marriage rather than an opportunity to throw a pity party and rant about what an awful man she married.
People make mistakes, it happens, no man, woman, or child in this world is perfect. I think it's time we accepted that, and stopped being so high and mighty as a populace and acting as though we are above making mistakes. What mistakes have you made? Who have you hurt in your life?
Are you so perfect as to point the finger at any of these candidates and state that they aren't good enough to run your country because of their past mistakes?
Isn't it time we stopped listening to the drama and finger-pointing and started thinking in terms of what mistakes the candidates have made already and what they've learned from them that will benefit us as a nation? What they can do for the nation, rather than how bad they can make the other guy look?
I was not going to vote this year. I was not going to vote because it seemed to me that none of the candidates were worth being voted for, the whole lesser of two evils predicament. Now I think I'll go back, and examine the debates, ignore the bickering and negative talk about each other. Try to find out who had something positive to say, who had a plan worth voting for. It won't be easy, that's for sure, I will have to sift through a lot of garbage to get to the good stuff, but hopefully it will give me a glimmer of who is really worthy of my vote.
posted by AnywhereEden | 10:12 AM
2 Comments:
Ben and I had a talk about politics briefly.
We were analyzing whether Hillary or Obama could go further in the votes? We would kind of just be happy with a democrat at this point I think...which may be a dumb way of looking at it..but politics are hard and hurt my brain.
Not that it matters now, but I don't think Hillary would have gotten as far as Obama may. And while some of that is because she is a woman, I could see so many people not voting for her if only because her husband had cheated on her. I could see people being catty like that..like maybe she's just a bitch and that's why he did it, or maybe she can't keep "control" of her husband and I don't think people really believed those thoughts of mine when I shared them.
But not even a week later someone was using that as an excuse not to vote for her on the internets.
Ben thinks that Obama is the Antichrist. Too much charisma.
He also says he'd still vote for him over a republican.
In any case, whoever ends up being the president has some hard work cut out for him.
Sometimes simply reading the policies takes a bit of the "personality" issue out. You could start here, comparing the McCain & Obama tax structures. Even though our household ends up paying a bit more under Obama, I feel it will be worth it. My kids are taking advantage of certain tax-funded social programs (medical, especially) while they're in school. I don't mind paying taxes that give people a leg up toward independence and success. I do mind paying for unjust wars.
Obama's positions on the issues are very well defined at barackobama.com. Funny, when you go to johnmccain.com, the first image you see is a close-up of Barack Obama, and an invitation to join his "fan club." Those McCain folks -- which junior high school student body are they trying to impress?
:-D
Post a Comment
<< Home