Diatribe Sunday

There have been a number of occasions over the last several weeks where I’ve started to write something only to lose my train of thought, get interrupted or have the computer crash.

Maybe today, I’ll manage to soldier through...

The Election.

There’s been a lot of ink devoted to the election over the last several weeks. Every four years the people of this country become obsessed with the political version of Survivor. No doubt, the reason why the reality show is so successful is in that it mirrors the presidential primaries and campaigns.

Just a few short months ago, we watched as Howard Dean’s scream in a moment of passion became his undoing and four years from now one wonders if it’ll be more than a footnote of the current campaign. Howard Dean fades into the ranks of those who tried for the brass ring and self destructed (let’s dig up images of Gary Hart and his playful boat rides).

I’m admittedly a bit of a cynic when it comes to these things. I can’t say I’ve been really satisfied by the positions of either of the two major parties over the last several years. There are points on both sides which have captured my heart and then there are points where they both have totally lost me.

So, there are only a few weeks left before I walk in and close that curtain and I can’t say I’ll be really sure what I’ll do until I close the that curtain behind me.

I will say that I followed most of the debates and came away very disappointed.

I listened to the first half of the first debate on the radio as I was on my way home from work.

Listening to the debate was a good thing as I was spared the posturing the candidates feel compelled to do on TV - makes me think everyone in the nation would be better served if the debates were televised but the candidates visages weren’t shown (I don’t know maybe put a picture of each guy up as he is speaking).

The thing that stuck with me was in a nation as large as ours these two are the best we can come up with?! How sad.

Also, doesn’t it appear that the nature of the campaigns has changed dramatically over the last fifty years? How much of an influence (and a negative one at that) does TV have on these things today?

Another thing that also interested me was that MTV, MTV2, BET and VH1 all networks which have been running campaigns endeavoring to get people out and vote decided not to carry the debates live. I guess Pimp My Ride is really the choice of likely young voters??