The “Silly Season” is almost over! There is something about campaigns, elections and the media that brings out so much balderdash that some of us are fed up to the teeth hearing so many pontificate and speculate. Enough already! It’s on television, in my mailbox, on Facebook, the radio, the telephone and anywhere else anyone can think of to put it. No wonder we have voter fatigue. If I hear any more analysis of each race and every tiny detail, I will go round the bed.
The worst part is that not many voters actually vote – those are the ones who whinge and complain the most. Not only that, the same people keep running and getting elected – how many races have only one person running? It is negative slants, lies, accusations and rumors instead of issues and what truly needs to be done. It often seems politicians only notice us voters when election time, the rest of the year they are feathering their own nests rather than working for their constituents.
I vote every time, but not enough other people do to really make a difference; wouldn’t be nice if we had people running who knew what they are doing. Too many good people don’t want to be put under the microscope by the press and have their whole lives examined. Why not put those same news people under the scrutiny that give to candidates?
There doesn’t seem to be much choice of parties or candidates – either very conservative or very liberal. Why not a moderate party – otherwise some of us don’t have much choice. Why oh why have the voters been split into segments – black voters, Latino or Hispanic, women, seniors – there are so many segments it is hard to see us as all American voters. We are all Americans, with no hyphens.
It is the right, privilege and responsibility for citizens to vote; to have informed voters would be the icing on the cake. Maybe I am just old-fashioned; after seeing what my husband went through to become a citizen, I know how blessed I am to have been born an American. Sometimes one has to leave the country and see how things are in other places to really appreciate what we have here.
Too bad this election is the end of it for a while. Tomorrow they will start going full-bore for the presidential election in 2 years. When that comes along, that will be major voter fatigue. I don’t want to hear it, see it or deal with it until about September 2015. Too bad I won’t be able to do that. Maybe a little respite before the onslaught for 2015.
I don’t usually rant, but today I have had enough! I am going to bed early, they can decide each election without me – the New Year comes in whether I am awake or not.
Gift of RA 