So it is August 2012. It seems like we have just zoomed through this year. Pretty soon, we will be seeing the changing of the seasons, watching the fall leaves change color, attending harvest festivals if they have them in your towns, and of course the Presidential Election. Is anyone looking forward to it? Is anyone excited? I will say for myself, no I am not. I am not looking forward to these next few weeks of political mumbo jumbo.
The question on my mind is when did politics become so personal? It is a rarity anymore that we see people talking about the issues at hand that affect us all. Now we see people being attacked personally. Why are we allowing this?
I turn on the television and there are attack ads where one opponent is attacking the other. Rarely is seen are the ads that focus on the candidate him or herself talking about what they can do for the voters and why the voters should vote for that perspective candidate. Instead, we are subjected to what his or her opposing candidate did or did not do, their alleged professional and personal flops and mistakes. I am left scratching my head because the ad did nothing to sway my vote but because I am unsure as to what the candidate could do for me. What is the purpose?
I have heard people say, “I hate Obama!” Why? Has this man talked about your mamma, has he stole your woman? Why is it so personal? It is one thing to disagree with his politics but to go so far as to say you hate someone that you do not even know? I do not get it. We even see people attack a person’s love for the country or accuse them of not being American enough. Come on. What makes you the authority? What makes you the spokesperson for anything? The Republican National Convention come on this week, and I for one refused to watch any of it because all it probably was a rally to malign our current president instead of talking about what this candidates could do for us the voter.
We are using our political and religious views as an excuse to tare each other down and disrespect one another. Then we hide behind the First Amendment when we say offensive and demeaning things about each other. While I agree wholeheartedly with the first amendment, I believe that with it comes great responsibility (but more to come on that later) and we should always be careful.
Right now, I pass right over the news channels because all it is “Romney Vs. Obama” material. You have political analysts who have either never held a public office, or have lost repeatedly slamming both candidates with such a bitter and negative spirit, it becomes a major turn off. All of the accusations, mudslinging and bitter attitudes are distracting. I would like these candidates to focus on their party and their ticket. As Chaka Khan would say, “What Cha Gonna Do For Me?” You have to do more than just talk about what the other person has done (as a way to distract me from your lack of inexperience or ignorance) to get me to vote for you. I think politicians have become so focused on the politics that they forget about why they got into politics to begin with, and that is to bring about change and help the people that need it.
It is time to change the game in terms of how we do politics. Young people are being turned off because the races have become so bitter and negative. Just because we are on opposite sides of the fence does not mean we have to hate each other. When will start respecting what each side can bring to the table. I have respect for both parties and I do believe that both Democrats and Republicans can compliment each other. It is time for a change. No more “us vs. them” type of thinking because in the end, we all end up losing.
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