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The Season of Politics

It's campaign season. And oh how I just love it! I love hearing only about McCain/Palin & Obama/Biden because I just know there is absolutely NO other news happening in the world.

Even much of what I've heard about the bail out has been centered around how McCain has put his campaign on hold... I can't help but laugh in sad, sad tragedy.

If you ask me, politicians should get a very limited time to campaign. They should be allotted an amount of time -- use it wisely and use it justly. With a limited campaign period, there would be far less room for mudslinging and mudslinging itself would become less effective. Candidates would be forced to focus on pitching their plan to the American people. Our entire campaign season would be so much more pleasant and cut-and-dry.

It's just too bad Americans thrive on drama.

What gets me though is that cocky, "I am right and there's no two ways around it" attitude that politicians and almost all their sheep-like followers have (no matter party affiliation). I watched the debate a few nights ago between McCain and Obama. The impatience and complete lack of regard for facts on McCain's part pissed me off. He was rude, would interrupt Obama and would repeatedly reiterate statements that were completely irrelevant to the current main question.

I've see party signs for both sides, both positive and negative. I've seen the "NObama" and "McCain't" signs. And while they are clever, they really serve no purpose but to trash the opponent. No self-intelligent, free-choosing American makes their decision for president based on some witty or half-way-witty anti-president slogan. Still, that doesn't mean I don't crack up laughing every time I see "McCain't" on someone's car. Shit, I still laugh every time I see "Worst President Ever" on cars.

What I feel the need to remind people, however, is that when they choose to advertise a negative campaign for one party, in the minds of the public they become unofficially affiliated with the other primary party. You know when you see a "NObama" sign, you automatically assume it's a republican who put it up. It happens -- everyone assumes; everyone makes asses out of everyone else.

Some things to keep in mind while publicly expressing yourself (whether it be for political purposes or otherwise):

1. Do a little fact checking.
Making statements that are boldly and commonly known to be false is not only tactless and time wasting, but it reflects poorly on the people represented by your sign. And how do you imagine they'd feel knowing they were being affiliated with a sign that publicly falsely slanderized someone or thing? (see: "he's not an Arab")

2. Know who you're representing.
Knowing who you're representing is obviously a novel idea. Where would you be without a cause, you rebel? No place. Know who you're representing before you go flaunting your 'proud American' sign.

3. Use a dictionary. The incredible irony of the misspelling on her sign demanding English (the language she just screwed up) be the official language just cracks me up. Yep, go America! Let's make English (the language that immigrated here from ENGLAND) be our official language. Nevermind the NATIVE American languages like Chickasaw, or Inuit, or Navajo. Don't you forget, we English speaking folks immigrated here as well.

4. Understand your place. Yep, Go USA! And all the 'morans' living here. Including this guy.

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