Kindergarten Politics
Is it never adult time in the United States? Can we never have an intelligent political conversation that isn't just stupid fucking gotcha! moments and phony howls of outrage?
Does it always have to be McCain's houses and Obama's preacher, and McCain's draft and Obama's 57 states, and McCain's flip and Obama's flop and arugala for crying out loud? Really? Arugala? We're picking a president based on his preferences in salad greens?
What is the matter with people? Obama and McCain are both good, decent, honorable guys who actually want to help the American people come to grips with a multitude of serious problems. How in Christ's name did these two men come to this point? How have we let the election once again be taken over by Limbaughs and Olbermanns, by Hannitys and Markoses? (Markosi?) How have these two exemplary men fallen to this level?
Will there ever be a time for us to talk about the economy and foreign policy like grown-ups? Is it always kindergarten? Is there no way for us to send the children to their room and have a rational discussion without the dialog being dominated by ignoramuses, clowns and charlatans?
Jesus. I used to love politics. It used to be about something. Now it's a form of entertainment by and for money-grubbing creeps playing to imbeciles.
I try to be sanguine about it. I try to laugh it off. But you know, we kind of do have some actual problems, some real things to deal with, and maybe we shouldn't let the process degenerate into a race to out-stupid the other guy. Just saying maybe deciding elections on the basis of which team can do the best job of manufacturing phony outrage over some non-event isn't precisely what Washington and Jefferson and Adams had in mind. I'm just not sure men jumped off those landing craft at Omaha beach to defend a system that turns on who got off a zinger and who can do the best job of regurgitating focus-grouped talking points.
Is it too late to think about hiring a benevolent dictator?
H/T to Transplanted Lawyer who got me started.
Does it always have to be McCain's houses and Obama's preacher, and McCain's draft and Obama's 57 states, and McCain's flip and Obama's flop and arugala for crying out loud? Really? Arugala? We're picking a president based on his preferences in salad greens?
What is the matter with people? Obama and McCain are both good, decent, honorable guys who actually want to help the American people come to grips with a multitude of serious problems. How in Christ's name did these two men come to this point? How have we let the election once again be taken over by Limbaughs and Olbermanns, by Hannitys and Markoses? (Markosi?) How have these two exemplary men fallen to this level?
Will there ever be a time for us to talk about the economy and foreign policy like grown-ups? Is it always kindergarten? Is there no way for us to send the children to their room and have a rational discussion without the dialog being dominated by ignoramuses, clowns and charlatans?
Jesus. I used to love politics. It used to be about something. Now it's a form of entertainment by and for money-grubbing creeps playing to imbeciles.
I try to be sanguine about it. I try to laugh it off. But you know, we kind of do have some actual problems, some real things to deal with, and maybe we shouldn't let the process degenerate into a race to out-stupid the other guy. Just saying maybe deciding elections on the basis of which team can do the best job of manufacturing phony outrage over some non-event isn't precisely what Washington and Jefferson and Adams had in mind. I'm just not sure men jumped off those landing craft at Omaha beach to defend a system that turns on who got off a zinger and who can do the best job of regurgitating focus-grouped talking points.
Is it too late to think about hiring a benevolent dictator?
H/T to Transplanted Lawyer who got me started.
This entry was posted by Michael Reynolds, on
Friday, August 22, 2008.
You can leave your response.
2:50 AM
I guess we could talk about the vice presidential candidates. Let's see.... Biden and Romney. Oh. Nevermind.
1:14 PM
The horrible part (to me) is that I read this morning about Obama choosing Biden and a little bell went off in my head to the effect of "Biden? Eeeew!"
But I can't remember a single thing out of the bazillions of things I've read that would make me respond like that.
Folks talk about "information overload" but I think I'm suffering from "innuendo overload" instead.
In my case I guess it doesn't matter much. If I convinced everyone I know and everyone that they know to vote for McCain, Obama will still take Washington state. Therefore, I'm voting for Barr. Not because I think he's got the proverbial snowball's chance, but just because I want to continue the seemingly hopeless task of trying to wake up the masses to the idea that maybe we can have more choices than just Republicrats or Democans.