Lack of Experience
Hermits tend not to be particularly politically active. At least this hermit tends not to be particularly politically active. I start out interested in what is going on in an election. Then I get confused. Finally I become disgusted and throw my hands up at the whole situation.
I vividly remember one local election which was a fierce contest. As election day drew closer, the television ads became more and more frequent. The night before the election two completely contradictory ads were shown consecutively. One said that the incumbent had solved the education funding crisis. The other claimed that the incumbent had not only not solved the education funding crisis but also made it worse.
Surely only one of those assertions is true. Or is this one of those "truth from a certain point of view" situations?
In high school, as part of an extra credit project, I read a book entitled How to Lie with Statistics. I have been suspicious of the interpretation of numerical data ever since.
I am concerned about how early the 2008 presidential campaign is beginning. There is too much work to be done. The Congress needs to get something done now, or at least start getting something done now, rather than waiting for a change in twenty-two months. Let's focus on the matter at hand, shall we? There is the war that isn't helping anyone. Actually there are several wars that aren't helping anyone, and if we aren't careful, there are a few more on the horizon. There are too many people in this country who are hungry and underemployed and unable to afford health care. There are kids who can't afford to go to college. There are kids who can't get in to college because they aren't getting the education that they need in elementary and secondary school. There are veterans of current and past wars and their families who are not being taken care of properly. And we're all doing our part to destroy the planet.
But why work when we can start another contest? At least this contest hasn't gotten too ugly yet. So far the biggest concerns seem to be that one candidate is a Mormon and another doesn't have much in the way of experience on the national and international political stage.
Let's take a step back, shall we? Let's look at our current fearless leader. He's a born again Christian who openly talks to God and lets it be known that his faith influences his decisions, and his only serious political experience before becoming president was a single term as the Governor of Texas.
De ja vu anyone?
I vividly remember one local election which was a fierce contest. As election day drew closer, the television ads became more and more frequent. The night before the election two completely contradictory ads were shown consecutively. One said that the incumbent had solved the education funding crisis. The other claimed that the incumbent had not only not solved the education funding crisis but also made it worse.
Surely only one of those assertions is true. Or is this one of those "truth from a certain point of view" situations?
In high school, as part of an extra credit project, I read a book entitled How to Lie with Statistics. I have been suspicious of the interpretation of numerical data ever since.
I am concerned about how early the 2008 presidential campaign is beginning. There is too much work to be done. The Congress needs to get something done now, or at least start getting something done now, rather than waiting for a change in twenty-two months. Let's focus on the matter at hand, shall we? There is the war that isn't helping anyone. Actually there are several wars that aren't helping anyone, and if we aren't careful, there are a few more on the horizon. There are too many people in this country who are hungry and underemployed and unable to afford health care. There are kids who can't afford to go to college. There are kids who can't get in to college because they aren't getting the education that they need in elementary and secondary school. There are veterans of current and past wars and their families who are not being taken care of properly. And we're all doing our part to destroy the planet.
But why work when we can start another contest? At least this contest hasn't gotten too ugly yet. So far the biggest concerns seem to be that one candidate is a Mormon and another doesn't have much in the way of experience on the national and international political stage.
Let's take a step back, shall we? Let's look at our current fearless leader. He's a born again Christian who openly talks to God and lets it be known that his faith influences his decisions, and his only serious political experience before becoming president was a single term as the Governor of Texas.
De ja vu anyone?
posted by minervasowl | 10:14 PM
2 Comments:
I agree that it is far too early to be bombarded with the next presidential election.
As for Congress doing much, I am not holding my breath. So far, there has been a debate about whether there will be a debate about the "war" and the ethics rules are changed so that lobbyists no longer invite congress persons for dining, golfing, hunting, and sporting events but it is perfectly acceptable for lobbyists to be "invited" to buy high-priced tickets to the congress persons' dining, golfing, hunting, and sporting events.
I heard someone (a Democratic Congressman if memory serves) on the radio say that it's going to be all about the early primaries and caucuses, and that the race will be all but decided by this time next year.
On the one hand, I find that assertion frightening in its probability, but on the other hand, the early caucuses and primaries haven't exactly been rock solid indicators in more recent elections. After all, didn't John McCain win New Hampshire one year?
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