Blame the undecideds. Blame the dunderheads who, after the longest presidential election in history is nearing its close, still can’t figure out who they want to vote for. They are the reason we continue to suffer through such a disheartening election. All the nastiness, spin, and lies polluting American politics before November 4th is directed towards these people, in an effort to sway their loyalties one way or the other. The closer we get to the election, the greater the distortions. In effect, those of us who decided who to vote for long ago are at the mercy of those who are basing their choice on the desperate words and deeds of frantic candidates. Unbelievable.
Politics can be addicting. The interplay of power brokers can read like high stakes gambling, or the highest expression of political morality. There’s lots of wiggle room between aspirational politics and the politics of apportionment. There is also a fair share of good and bad. What happens in the political arena has very real implications for everyday life, so we all have vested interests in what goes on in the halls of power. Additionally, for the political junky, it’s damned fine entertainment. Election politics, however, is ugly and repellant. It’s almost enough to make a person tune out.