Election 2008 Coverage

With all of the hullabaloo and the pomp and the potshots and mugshots and low blows that seem to characterize American electioneering practice, it's a wonder to me that anyone actually gets elected. Most candidates seem to spend more time trashing their opponents, back-pedaling, and defending themselves than they do talking about important issues.

To make matters worse, the American media seems to think that Americans in general have all the attention span and political savvy of a hamster. Therefore they feed us the juicy details of what Hillary Clinton is wearing and who Barak Obama or John McCain was seen standing next to in a photo from 1976, instead of what they plan to do if they are elected to the nation's highest office.

Furthermore, who cares whether celebrity A endorses Hillary Clinton or reality star B supports John McCain. Does anyone really say "Oh my gosh! I'm going to vote for that Barak Obama guy now because my favorite actor likes him!" I certainly don't. My reaction is usually along the lines of "And I care what you think because?..." Frankly, it is terrifying to me that I frequently have to really dig deep on domestic news media sites or go to foreign news sources such as the BBC to find more on Election 2008 than just sound bites, fluff, and venom.

I want to watch and read serious discussion about the issues that matter to me. I want to know which candidates have a track record of keeping their campaign promises, spending my tax money as wisely as possible, showing integrity, and treating their constituents as something more than bothersome peasants or children. In other words, I am far more interested in whether a candidate spent millions of tax dollars on pork barrel projects than where they shop for shoes.

And while I'm on the subject, I want to hear about ALL the candidates, not just the media darlings. I registered Independent for a reason: I want the best candidate to get the job, regardless of party, skin color, family ties, gender, economic status, or taste in clothing, for that matter.

Finally, I want to know why Americans are putting up with this nonsense. Are we as mindless and shallow as our news media seems to think? Does our constitutional right to vote mean that little to us?

I hope not. Our future as a nation depends on it.