Election Thoughts

Again, I don’t normally get into politics, so I apologize for this diversion. (Warning: Obscure reference ahead.) Most of the time you can find me working diligently for the Voter Apathy Party. (“Now here’s a party I can get excited about. Sign me up!”)

In reflecting on the election results, I found it interesting that more Americans identified with the impulsive man who slouches, scowls, and smirks than the thoughtful man who stands up straight, nods, and smiles easily.

Is this a lesson for our children?

Is this a country where the children with “that face” frozen on them can grow up to be president? Should they not, after seeing this year’s election, ignore their parents scolding and work even harder on “that face?” Apparently, 51% of the country feels “that face” is the way the nation should be viewed by the world.

Cynthia brought up another interesting point: The president, in his victory speech, asked for the support of the people who voted for his opponent. I’m all for being patriotic, but how, in fact, does one support a president in his second term? I suppose if he were to stop by my office, I will have to give him a hearty pat on the back for a job well done, and then perhaps offer to buy him lunch at Burger King.

As Dick Cheney was speaking at the victory party, was it just me or did the president and first lady standing nearby resemble wooden marionettes?

This year, I made more of an effort to pay attention to the presidential race and make an informed decision than I ever have before. I have to admit that the majority of the time I found it somewhat sickening. Real facts were very difficult to locate amidst the avalanche of sound bites, talking points, and political spin. In particular, I found television and print media to be completely worthless in evaluating the candidates. The first and only time I got to see the candidates for who they were came when Cynthia and I watched the debates. We watched them on C-SPAN, where there were no anchors, experts, or opinions. It was refreshing.

I wonder how many Americans made their voting decision based on what they saw or heard in a television sound bite or political ad? What does that say about the overall intelligence of the average American voter? What does that say about the average American’s resistance to political manipulation?

I wonder how many Germans voting in the 1932 election formed their opinions from what they heard on their radios or read in their newspapers? Interestingly, it only took 30% of the them to get their candidate on the path to world domination.