The political scream machine

I LIKE to discuss politics. I like the free-flow of ideas and the exchange of information. I ENJOY tossing ideas around and coming at a problem from more than one angle so that it hopefully develops some sort of reasonable response/approach. I like to think I'm always right (got that from my dad)...but I recognize that I'm probably wrong more often than not. I don't see getting my panties in a bunch over anything any politician has to say (except maybe the idiot who voted to put the landfill in my backyard). And I really don't see getting myself all worked up because my friends and/or family and/or complete strangers don't agree with me. They're ALLOWED to not agree with me...that's the great thing about it.

But here's the thing...if you really don't want to discuss politics with me then DON'T discuss politics. Nothing irritates me more than the person who states their political position and then says, "But I don't want to talk about it." No...what you want to do is a political hit and run. You want to stick your fingers in your ears and sing "la la la la" loud enough that you can't hear anything other than the sound of your own voice. It's juvenile and it makes me want to smack you upside the head.

This past weekend when I was canvassing for the Obama campaign, I met a couple of folks who said, "Thank you for stopping by...I have already made my decision...and I do not care to talk about it." That was it. They didn't say what their decision was or offer up anything to give me a clue. And it was NICE! So much more so than the driveby nasty comments I hear about Barack Obama these days. People love to take their shots and then run away. Nobody wants to HEAR the other side. As a lawyer and a generally fair-minded person, that really upsets my internal truth-and-justice meter.



***this post is not directed at any individual in particular and only expresses my generalized election season discontent***