Dear November 2nd...

...please be merciful and come quickly. You'll bring this country, globe, and myself one step closer to moving on with it's life. I am so very, very sick of hearing about the presidential election. I could possibly go on a statewide killing spree if I'm forwarded one more cheeky flash animation of our *shiver* president or his opponent making something really funny happen, or dancing to some stupid jig, or slandering the other person in a very cool, sophisticated, unflinching way. (Though the photo of Dick Cheney's evil, under-biting grimace is still somewhat entertaining.)

I'm sure, almost beyond a shadow of a doubt that the presidential election will not end next Tuesday. I'm very sure there will be a lawsuit or some screw up that will allow the current losing side to scream and rant about in a last ditch effort to bring their favorite to the head of political power for the next four years. Don't get me wrong, I very much want to believe in this process that well call democracy, I very much want to best person for the job...but somewhere along the way...this whole thing has all gone very wrong. No one's talking about issues anymore, everything is, as much it can possibly be, a very calculated duck-hunting, children’s-book-reading, baby-kissing, factory-line-worker-handshaking photo op.

I had a moment of clarity last night. I was riding around with my brother, in his pick up truck, drinking beer from a can, listening to country music, and I asked him his opinion of the election. (I'm into the whole slice of life thing; I think it's good fun to step outside your own skin.) Now, he's a republican with a "W for President Sticker" on his truck, and I'm a pretty vile Bush objector, but I'm sort of always interested in what people’s opinions are. His response was the following, "I'm pretty sure the Democrats will probably win. Hell, even if Bush did take it, the Dem’s are set with lawsuits in each one of the swing states to push things in their favor, and the Republicans have a little more class then that, so I just figure we're screwed no matter what." That's when it hit me. I had someone in San Francisco just last week tell me the same story with the roles reversed. Neither person believed anything less than the truth of what they spoke, and in the end they both were partially right (I think about the lawyers being prepared to battle, neither party has much class in my opinion at this point.)

Just two weeks ago I was in Poland where two of the three news channels on the TV coddled me through my jet-lagged existence were in English. Besides one snafu with Beckham and a yellow card, I swear to you I heard NOTHING but news of which US presidential candidate picked his nose, which state he picked it in, and how close of a swing state it was. Every time they referenced the election, some boob would come on and declare that this was "possibly the most important election this century". It's sort of like the Super Bowl people have been contacted to cover this year's election....I'm seriously waiting for fucking Hank Williams, some supernatural colliding lightning-ridden helmets, and a row of scantily clad bimbos with pom-poms to appear at any moment.

Now with all that ranting, please don't mistake the point of me writing this. I do think this is an important election. I guess this is why I think I'm so alarmed. No one's *really* talking about any issues!!!! Here's the reality. The war in Iraq will be completed, I'm not saying it's not important, but I bet, somehow, the media and troops are home in the next year at the most (I think Iraq will still be screwed and a shell of it’s former self, but I still think the troops will be home). As for 9/11 & Terrorism in general; I think it's pretty understood that the world we live in is a different one now, we will have to make provisions and the current way we handle things is a decent start, a little bumbling, heavy handed and fear mongering, but the intent is to make the country a safer place. My questions about the real issues have to do with the sky rocketing deficit, the huge elephant called “social security” shitting in the middle of the room, and the fact that American is quickly losing it's status as a super power nation (at least by many reports)….these are just three issues from someone who doesn’t even really consider himself political.

Why am I writing this...well, here's the deal; I really tried to write about anything but the election today (or ever). I am, however so fed up with the fact that we the people aren't holding these assholes feet to the fire to get any actual answers about what they intend to do in the next four years, this whole election has become a contest of character of two men. I think it’s really sad that our future hangs in the balance of such a highly subjective subject. Is this the way elections always are? Well sort of, but with the advent of such quick information and the power of the Internet, I was hoping things would be a little different this time around. I'm sad to say that I think all that the Internet's done for this election is put “the spin” on steroids. There's a different perfectly packaged character assault for every niche, and the individual campaign’s aren't responsible for all of them…most of them are cooked up by quirky little flash animators are helping nothing, yet they benefit from the free promotion and hocking DVD's along the way...how American of them. (And I'm one of the first person to laugh at things, and I'm all for humor, but I sorta feel like it's replaced the discussion any issues at all.)

I wonder if I'm alone in feeling this way...I mean most of the rest of the country is just trying to get behind their hours in this photo-finishing race, which is understandable giving the ramifications, but does anyone else see this, or am I alone...

That being said...please, please, please go vote Nov 2nd, you've endured too much of this to not have a voice.

Posted by colin at October 29, 2004 01:12 PM