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Tuned out on upcoming election
Ioften have people ask me what I think about the upcoming Presidential election.
Honestly, I don’t think much of it. Much good, at least. I’m sure as the months tick off to November, I’ll get more interested, but right now, I just can’t stand the way the major networks cover these elections or the way the candidates conduct themselves.
Quick, can you tell me what Mitt Romney wants to do to fix Social Security? Do you have any idea what Ron Paul wants to do about immigration reform? How does Newt Gingrich plan to deal with our national debt? What will Rick Santorum do to fight terrorism? Or how Rick Perry plans to grow our economy.
Don’t know? Well, neither do I. Because all this supposed race to the nomination has been is one big mudwrestle between the candidates and the media that covers them.
Instead of hearing about what these candidates will do when they get in office, we keep hearing about what they did decades ago when they were or weren’t avoiding fighting in Vietnam, were or weren’t cheating on their spouses, and if they were or weren’t enjoying firing people when they took over businesses.
It seems the candidates would prefer to tear each other down, rather than build themselves up.
Then, of course, there is the non-stop reporting of the gaffes, which are so dang important because — shudder — we’d hate to elect a president who can’t speak good. So instead of knowing the platforms of these candidates, we know that Mitt Romney thinks corporations are people, that Michelle Bachmann thinks the HPV vaccine causes retardation, that Jon Huntsman doesn’t know his Nirvana songs and that Rick Perry doesn’t know 18 year olds can vote. Yes, these are all pretty silly and probably should be news on the back pages, but this minor stuff is all we get from our mainstream media. Their tabloid-style reporting is all-controversy-all-the-time and, the truth is, I just don’t care to follow it anymore.
I will no longer actively consume this kind of trash masquerading as legitimate reporting. Instead I’m going to do my own research and vote for the candidate with the platform I like the best.
3 Comments
#2
Silver Flores commented, on January 20, 2012 at 11:13 p.m.:
Let us all blame the "mainstream media" for reporting the words that are coming out of their mouths.
#3
Razor commented, on January 24, 2012 at 6:21 p.m.:
I think knowing what a candidate would do if elected is important. But, I also do not want the leader of the free world to appear inadequate or inferior to other leaders. If our president does not know our basic history or laws and cannot effectively communicate in a clear concise manner, then I think it is important as "Gina" pointed out. In addition, a president should be educated and articulate. If not then opinions are formed. Just take a look at Chuck Allen's quote, "...there is the non-stop reporting of the gaffes, which are so dang important because — shudder — we’d hate to elect a president who can’t speak good." This quote may paint a picture of limited vocab, limited exposure to anything beyond the West Canal, and education that may have been cut short because liberal views and or worldly experiences were in abundance at college.---Just an obsevation...
Gina commented, on January 20, 2012 at 4:51 p.m.:
It is my personal opinion that all the petty information given to us by the media has relevance and it an important factor in determining who it is that I vote for. For example, I want to know that Michelle Bachmann doesn't know the history of the United States. A person who wholeheartedly believes that the Founding Fathers fought to end slavery and other facts about our nation should not be running our country. While I agree that too much emphasis is placed on these types of stories I also feel that the nation has a right know what type of person their potential future President is. What a person did in their past should be brought out into the light, as a public official who holds such a high office I want to be assured that they are a trust worthy, responsible, sane person. I encourage everyone to do outside research on all candidates and vote for who they think will make the better President.
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