Today is the day we’ve all been waiting for.
Today is the day the way, way too long election cycle ends.
Today is the day the ridiculously too expensive campaign for the president of the United States is over.
I am holding out hope for an honest election.
I am sending out fabulous energy to every single voter, intelligent or no.
Thank you for exercising your right to vote for the future leaders of our country. Let's make this a record turnout today. Because this is, by far, one of the most important elections in a long time. So very much is at stake.
Though I don’t watch television, out of excitement last night I was flipping through the channels trying to find out answers to a few questions. Instead of answers, I witnessed the most frightening and despicable display of hate I have seen in a long time. It was an ad by the Republican Party. It called Sen. Barack Obama evil and likened him to a terrorist. It went on and on.
I watched in horror. The entire ad was full of gross and slanderous lies to create doubt and fear in the gullible television audience. I turned off the television and had to shake off the feelings this ad caused deep within me.
On this historic Election Day, I would like to propose a new plan for bringing the truth into campaigns.
How about every single time a candidate lies in a campaign advertisement they lose an electoral vote?
That might force this process to crawl out of the gutter, for once and for all.
Solutions anyone?
I said I saw one ad, one ad too many, of course there are negative attacks on both sides! I was surprised Obama didn't lower himself to McCain's level and bring up McCain's connection to the Keating five in one of the debates or even mention his "pal" G. Gordon Liddy, now there's a terrorist for you!
pleeeeze! Surely you have suggestions that would help foster the discussion on how to boost integrity in political campaigns?
Instead you sing the party song and bring up racism and terrorism, I guess you believed the ads you saw. I mean blaming Obama for things his pastor said is ridiculous.
Wasn't it you who recommended factcheck.org last month? This website debunks the claim you mention that Obama hangs out with terrorists. You believe it probably because you want to believe it. To me hanging out means, being friends, hanging out, sharing a slice of life together. Obama was a small child when Ayers was a member of the radical anti-Vietnam Weathermen. Obama has called the group's acts "despicable." They hang out about as much as you and I hang out. They served on a couple of boards together, that's it. And apparently Ayers is not seen as too dangerous in Chicago, where he's now a professor of education and was named Chicago Citizen of the Year for his work helping schools.
My solution was stated, and
My solution was stated, and it is the basic change that is needed - that people need to support their president, regardless of whether they voted for him or her. No bumper stickers that state, 'don't blame me, I voted for McCain', no 'somewhere in _________ a village is missing its idiot', no hate rhetoric. It starts from the bottom up. There was far too much of that in the past number of years. (Interesting you bring up Keating 5. John McCain, along with John Glenn, a Democrat senator, were both absolved of wrong-doing.) It also takes integrity on everyone's part-I would never knowingly serve on a board alongside someone who tried to blow up parts of our country, or encourage children to kill their own parents. Period. Your mother may have said this to you, perhaps you've even thought of it for your own children, 'you are known by the company you keep.' I definitely feel that's true. So, regardless of what Factcheck says, my opinion of the man in the White House is that he made some serious misjudgements in his personal life about who he hangs with. And, no I don't think I 'sing the party song' anymore than anyone else does.
Negative bumper stickers are a bummer
I'm not a bumper sticker person and I personally don't see the point in placing a negative sticker on my car, no matter what it is saying. So I agree with you there. The negative vibration all these cars are touting is not doing anyone any good.
But I don't think McCain was absolved of wrong-doing. He was formally rebuked by the Senate Ethics Committee for exercising “poor judgment” for intervening with the federal regulators on behalf of Keating, who stole billions of dollars from his savings and loan patrons. Because McCain accepted Keating’s gifts of travel and vacations while McCain was a member of the House of Representatives, the Senate claimed they had no jurisdiction to censure McCain, even though he was in the Senate at the time of the investigation.
While I think politicians
While I think politicians should be truthful, the fact is many are not. However, even if a pol states something it can really be rather subjective whether it is the 'truth' or not, and statistics can always lie to support whatever it is they want to promote. I'd like to see pols held to ethical standards, such as not hanging around with racists, serving on boards with terrorists, etc. Lastly, I just have to comment on the 'horror' you felt when you saw a McCain ad. Obama's were just as inflammatory, so I hope you were equally horrified at those, AND something that I find more horrifying that speaks to how low we've sunken are the comments by Chris Matthews, a supposed journalist (not a talk show host or editorial person) when he stated it is his job as a journalist is to make the Obama presidency look good. Sorry, no go for me. A journalist should be impartial-if they are not, then it is really just propoganda which reinforces the whole socialist outlook from Obama. Lastly, for anyone who uttered phrases like 'Bush isn't my president' or 'I hate Bush' I say that was horrible as well. As much as I dislike Obama and what he stands for he is my president, and as long as he doesn't expect me to compromise my beliefs or principles he'll have my support.
FEC can do a better job
My point is that the federal election commission needs to do a better job at ensuring those on all sides of an issue or campaign use the truth to win votes. I don't care if it's never happened before. The time has come for change. At this point the commission is so slow in prosecuting and fining those airing the lies, there is no timely consequence. The current system is clearly not working.
I saw one ad that was pathetic, at best.
I offered one idea that would force clarity and clean campaigns. What is another?
Accepting the status quo seems like a rather bleak outlook to me. Surely we can put our heads together and see a future without all the lies and greed. It's everywhere and it needs to end.
Cleaning Up Campaign Adds
I love the idea of the candidates losing an electoral vote every time they "approve" an add that is not true.
Give voters more accurate information to make a decision on.......and at the same time, add to the entertainment factor that the campaign has become. That sounds like a winner.
In the spirit of entertainment, I would still allow candidates to get on TV and call each other names, but let them lose Electoral Votes every time they lie in an add that they "approve".
We cannot control the politicians that promise a health plan to the entire country that is equal to the one that the Senate has (and then doesn't follow through on it) or ones that promise to lower taxes and then raises taxes, but we should have control over the adds that we are being bombarded with through these long campaigns.
I wonder if this is a proposal that would have to start in the House or the Senate.
Politics have never been honest.....where's the fun in that?
Wow....My candidate lost for sure but that doesn't mean that I am bereft. I believe in the United States and its process..it isn't perfect but so far it has worked and made us lucky to be Americans. I have lived through many administrations and they all have their ups and downs.....Clinton and Monica and the stain on the dress kept me amused for hours....he was busy under the desk while Al Quaida was busy planning 9/11.
Most presidents have been up to some sort of hanky panky ( sexual or political) havent they.
nothing gets done...isnt that the reality... wasn't Nixon once on tv saying that we needed to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels....how many years ago was that and how any administrations ago? What has been done through government, what has been done through private initiative and what has been done on a personal level?
Nothing we are all too busy looking out for ourselves...
Am I not intelligent for voting Republican.....? Did I interpret that line correctly....
The ads are full of slander and lies on both sides...do you honestly think that anything that any candidates say they are going to do will be done....they are just trying to win votes and so they say what people want to hear....there is no easy fix for things that are wrong....life is messy...economies go up and down....dependence on fossil fuel gets us in trouble....
Did the Democrats play only totally truthful ads? I very much doubt it.
how we deal with these troubles will show our mettle and what we are made of...do we whine and moan or do we pull up our bootstraps and stop driving so much, stop expecting mammoth gains on the value of our houses, stop getting easy money out of credit cards and equity loans, turn the heat down or even OFF on some days...stop drinking $4.00 coffees...I am going to buy stock in Dunkin Donuts
Politics is in the gutter that is what makes it so full of passion and so frustrating...it has been that way since our country began and it is that way in all countries(if there is a process otherwise it is just to the gulag or get shot) ...didn' t Jefferson spread slander about his (once) good Friend John Adams so he could win the election for president....it is human nature to try to get what they want and to use all influences available...its all about power and to think any differently is naive....
The founding fathers are turning in their graves with the electoral idea...they spent countless hours, debates etc trying to figure that one.....How do you determine the lie..... before or after the election....do they get one back if they play nice?
My son asked me why I was a republican and what was the difference and I had to talk about abortion and was trying to sugar coat if for him and there was no way to make it sound other than it is......
My personal belief about Barack Obama is that he is an opportunist who is far left and that he will find it difficult to make good on his many, many promises. He made far too many. I also think that his relationship with certain people, including Reverend Wright, is questionable and was glossed over. I am neither gullible nor am I full of fear nor do I believe Barack Obama is a terrorist but I do believe that he associates himself with people that are full of hate and I hope that he further distances himself from these people. The only thing I am slightly concerned about is the "cult of Obama". Cults do scare me. There isno rational behavior.
I actually do wish him well and now he is the President of our country and I will afford him the respect that he deserves. I will not put nasty bumper stickers on my car about him like democrats did about President Bush. I found all those bumper stickers calling him the village idiot offensive and rude..not full of love and caring.
So I say only 4 more years until the next gutter campaign...in the meantime I am studying my marxist theory and early 20th century Russina history so I can learn how to prosper.
A Funny Little Email About Politics and Campaigning
While walking down the street one day a US senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies.
His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.
'Welcome to heaven,' says St. Peter. 'Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you.'
'No problem, just let me in,' says the man.
'Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up. What
we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven.
Then you can choose where to spend eternity.'
'Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,' says
the senator.
'I'm sorry, but we have our rules.'
And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he
goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds
himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance
is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends
and other politicians who had worked with him. Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting Rich at the expense of the people.
They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne. Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good t ime that before he realizes it, it is time to go. Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises...The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.
'Now it's time to visit heaven.' So, 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing.
They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours ave gone by and St. Peter returns.
'Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity.'
The senator reflects for a minute, then he answers: 'Well, I
would Never have said it before, I mean heaven has been
delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell.'
So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down,
down, down to hell. Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage.He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder. 'I don't understand,' stammers the senator. 'Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?'
The devil looks at him, smiles and says, 'Yesterday we were campaigning. Today you voted.'
Elections
Anne, I love your idea. I think far too many people actually believe the slurs tossed at the candidates. Using your idea would force honesty and I guess politicians need to be forced into telling the truth.
Far too often elections are decided on these untruths instead of people educating themselves about the real issues. It's just not right.