Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Enough with the Debates

I’m tired of politics. I never thought I’d arrive at such a statement. Usually, I’m a political person. I love the debates, the political maneuvering, the pundits and yes, even the gossip. I predict the front runners, the candidates and the winners. I check in with CNN every 30 minutes months before all major elections and I’m out there with my opinions, not always the politically correct ones preferred by my Orange County neighbors, but that doesn’t stop me. The whole Washington DC thing fascinates me. Who are these people who allow the media to expose their lives, criticize their friends and families, rip apart their voting records, their income tax returns, and use their words out of context for a job that appears as frustrating as it is temporary?

But, now, I’m done. I have no idea how many debates the republican presidential candidates have had. They’ve had quite a few. I don’t remember who has what tax plan or who has an unpopular religion or if any of them are religious at all. Someone left his wife when she was gravely ill to marry another woman and someone else was accused of sexual harassment. I don’t remember which one of those is which either. I would rather our leaders didn’t do those things but then I wish Al Gore hadn’t left Tipper and I wish Bill had been faithful to Hillary.

The truth is, I’m no longer paying attention because I’m disappointed. I had great hopes for President Obama. He’s a smart man. I liked his idea that a country is measured by how it treats its poorest citizens rather than how it benefits its richest. I liked the idea that affordable health care should be as much a right as breathing or walking the streets safely. I know I’m naïve when it comes to the maze of the political machine. I wrote a book about a vice-presidential candidate who gave up the nomination for the sake of his wife and family. My agent said to forget the book, that men didn’t do that. I’m sure she’s right, but I wish they did.

Meanwhile, kudos to England. Girls, even those with brothers, can be first to inherit the throne. They can be Prime Ministers, too. What about The House of Lords? Can girls be Lords?

No comments:

Post a Comment