I know I said in the past that I will avoid talking about politics in this column but I can no longer keep that promise. Everyday I am bombarded with political messages and there seems to be no way to avoid it. No, I am not talking about those who are running for office and their specific positions. I am talking about all those yard signs, text messages, television commercials and phone calls promoting a particular candidate or position that is on the ballot. Here is my strong opinion on the subject. If you choose a candidate or decide to vote for or against an issue based on a yard sign, your right to vote should be revoked. Is that too harsh? I saw that somewhere on a small sign planted in somebody’s front yard…oh, yea, that was my yard.
Every corner of every town I drive through has become a forest of political signs. All different names, colors and slogans. What do they tell us about the candidate? Nothing. We’re not even sure they spelled their own name correctly, and there is the chance many did not. The signs are designed to get you to remember the name of a candidate or a proposition, but nothing more. They fear if they put too much on the sign, you will vote the other way. The designer of the sign is just trying to get you to recall one name when you walk into the voting booth. On top of that, do you know how many trees must have been chopped down to make the paper for all these signs that do nothing more than deceive you? I’m sure that’s why I never see signs for the Green Party.
Television ads are even worse. Unfortunately, the makers of these commercials have no imagination. They seem to create one commercial and run it over and over again. Many times two or three times during a commercial break. Out here in California, we have two propositions on the ballot called Prop 26 and Prop 27. Television ads have been running for these props since the spring. From what I can figure, the Native American casinos out here are for and against these propositions and each one will bring millions of dollars to California or send millions of dollars to other states. I made sure to read the information for both props and was even more confused when finished. The one thing I know, it is all about money from gambling. A really noble cause to be fighting for.
Another thing I noticed is how many of the advertisements on television try to avoid telling you too much about the person they want you to vote for. They tend to demonize their opponent but give you very little information about themselves. For example, it is very hard to know if they are a Republican or a Democrat. They seem to fail to mention that in their ad while they are telling you that the other candidate in the race sleeps with dogs, drinks baby’s blood or some other crazy conspiracy theories. There is an exception. The race for mayor of Los Angeles has come down to two Democrats, or that is what one of them would like you to believe. One candidate once was a Republican but now claims to be a Democrat. The other candidate has always been a Democrat and insists that her opponent is truly a Republican. I guess being Republican in some areas must be the kiss of death the way the one candidate is running from it.
I can’t seem to escape all this electioneering. I may go hide in the basement but since I always have my phone with me I keep getting text messages, emails and phone calls about issues and candidates. I can’t block them fast enough. I would throw my phone out the window but do you know how much one of those things cost? Of course you do, I’m sure you have one. The real reason I don’t throw my phone out the window is because I get all the football games on it and there’s a game tonight. Now that is important. Unfortunately, the game will be riddled with political commercials. Will the prayer of St. Francis helped me here.
I received my ballot several weeks ago. I researched every candidate and issue, made my choices, filled out the ballot and dropped it off at the local drop box located at our city hall. I didn’t see anyone dressed in combat gear or carrying an automatic rifle exercising their second amendment right while trying to scare me out of exercising my constitutional right to vote. I can not believe any patriotic American can justify that level of intimidation.
My ballot is cast and I am done with this election, so why haven’t the ads, phone calls and yard signs stopped popping up everywhere? Don’t these people know we need to move on to the next eight weeks of endless Christmas ads.
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