I'm having such a hard time with all this election and political stuff. First off because I truly dislike both candidates. Second, because the whack-jobs on both sides of the aisle are just obnoxious and out of line. Third, because I am reading my favorite bloggers, and I am reminded that while I adore their life stories, their humor, their insights on family, work, American Idol...the important things in life, we are very far apart politically. It makes me fear losing those connections should I dare to comment or to post a political thought of my own.
From here on out, I am going to try and stay away from political blogging in general...try not to either read or write them.
But before that self-imposed ban, I will say that I think both of the V.P. candidates are much more fabulous than the Presidential candidates themselves. Although Palin is way too "Christian Right" for me personally, I admire her as a successful woman, and while I don't care for career politicians in general, I love that Biden has refused to comment on Palin's family (so far anyway), and has called out his own supporters for questioning her ability to be V.P. while taking care of her children by saying, like all the other working mothers in America, she can handle it.
I wish, just once, a politician would stand up and refuse to mud-sling. To just say why he or she is a good candidate for the job, based on their own experience and values, and not feel the need to degrade their opponent in the process. I would have so much more respect for the lot of them. Sadly, it seems this may never be possible.
That is all I have to say on the whole political thing. I will try to keep my own counsel from here on out, and in the process, keep my blog buddies. If we can't respect one another's differences, and right to varied points of view, I guess that won't happen.
Of course, if we can't respect one another, the buddies aren't worth having in the first place.
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5 comments:
All of what you said is why I don't talk politics among friends or co-workers.
It's too damn ugly. I've actually seen people say things like, "Wow...I really misread him. I thought he was a decent guy until I found out he was a registered (whichever party)"
He's still a decent guy. You just disagree with him politically.
I'm not going to comment on politics this fall either because I'm just so disgusted with how ugly it's gotten, and how low some of the more extreme elements of either side are willing to stoop to smear the other candidate.
And I'm really disgusted about the vitriol I've heard coming from the mouths of otherwise-reasonable people: people who would never say the kind of stuff they're saying about the opposition candidate about one of their neighbors or co-workers.
The world is an ugly enough and mean enough place without us adding to it.
I, for one, would never wig out if you expressed different opinions from mine. My entire family thinks I'm cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, so I'm kind of used to it. =)
In my reading, I've seen that unfortunately, the way Ricki describes things are pretty much the way they've always been. Hamilton and Madison co-wrote the bulk of the Federalist Papers together, but in the end wound up huge enemies personally as well as politically; it was the birth of political parties. Everyone claimed to abhor them, and many had dreamed that they would not be necessary in the new Republic. But it was full-on war through the press, and sometimes with actual gunplay.
It's distressing to me that a difference of political opinion would lead to someone wholeheartedly swallowing the plainest lies about others. It should be easy to agree about that much. So I promise not to storm off about any such pettiness as politics.
Just don't tell me you're a Rangers fan!
Yeah, let's ban mud-slinging. And "hysterical" commercials while we're at it. Who wants to be driven to the polls in some kind of crazed fear? Just let us be informed voters and don't talk down to us, huh, people?
What is really sad is I have the same political views as my boss and I am still offended at his constant criticism of the other party.
Well, I for one cannot stand those with opposing viewpoints from my own. That's why I'm a hermit. ;)
Seriously though, it's our rich political discourse that has kept our democracy so strong for so long. It's sad that people today are basing their judgments of other people's character on their politics.
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