#5 - Election Blues

Well, we are now one week away from the big day. Who's excited?! If you are like me, you probably just muttered, "Eh." I'm getting pretty apathetic about the election. It's so discouraging to see the same old partisan, mudslinging politics over and over again. I can't even watch debates. Is anyone else sick of it?

I think I get my hopes up every two or four years for something different. Six months ago, when the primaries were starting to thin out the candidates, and it was beginning to look like a McCain/Obama matchup, I got pretty excited. I think I expected more out of these two. I was hoping for a cordial campaign where we were really exposed to the candidates' policies. Instead we were given the same past-dredging cat fights that have defined politics for the past ten years. I do blame the media for much of it, but the American people love a scandal. Even worse is the fact that this election has turned into a contest between Palin and Obama. What happened to the actual Republican candidate for PRESIDENT?

I suggest a stronger third party. I know we have the Green Party and Libertarian Party, but they haven't proven capable of changing the face of American politics. While I may not necessarily agree with the platforms of these parties, strengthening them will force representatives in the government to work together. If you are forced to gain the support of another party to promote a policy, you cannot constantly play the us vs. them game that promotes negative politics.

On a side note, as the future looks ever-more ominous for the Republican party, I'm not sure how bad of a thing that is. While I consider myself an Independent, I am obviously conservative leaning due to moral convictions. For at least two years out of the last eight years, the government was controlled by Republicans (House, Senate, White House). They had two years to accomplish what many Americans elected them to accomplish, yet we are still killing babies in this country. Maybe playing the underdog for a while can rally this party to get back to what is truly important.

In the meantime, even if you are as discouraged as I am, you had better get out and vote next Tuesday. Men and women died to give you (and to preserve for you) that right.