By Judy Reiss
Over the years, people have asked me how (or why) I think about something to write every week. I wish I could give a deep and interesting reason, but the truth is there are times when I spend a long time trying to figure out how to tell something and then other times when something just comes to me as I sit down and turn on my computer and something just pops into my mind. Fortunately or unfortunately this week, it is a topic that has been driving me crazy for a long, long time. And what makes it worse, there is nothing that I can actual do about it!
If you have a TV, then you will understand what I am about to say. It is over 13 months until our election for President of the United States. But for some reason, the political parties in our country think that it is the right thing to do to inundate the voting public with advertisements for their candidate, at least 2 years before the actual election. And it drives me crazy!
Now I know I am not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I can understand what is going on and who has pretty much the same ideas and hopes for the country as I do. Repeating other positions on and on and on, has not made me change my ideas or thoughts one iota. But it would seem that the philosophy of those in charge of certain candidates is that more and more is much better. It would appear they think the American public is so stupid that they need to be brainwashed and that process takes just about 2 years!
If you are one of those who find all those advertisements, interviews and debates by the candidates interesting and full of good ideas and truths, good for you.
However, think about this. The cost to buy the advertising and the time on TV is beyond your wildest imagination. So what you say? Well, the what is this. Don’t think for a minute that most of the money spent is from the candidate or even their particular party. It is probably given to them from your tax dollar. But worse, most of the conservative candidates are financed by two extraordinarily rich people, for them the money they donate is just a good investment! And you say, no one is allowed to give that much money to an individual candidate but you would be wrong. The Supreme Court said that you and I can’t give over a certain amount, but the rich (who can always find a way) can give just about any amount they think will buy them the election!
I keep telling myself to stop thinking about Great Britain and other European countries who limited their pre-election nonsense to 2-3 months. And it makes me think about all the money and brain diapered that they save.
I also keep thinking abut the other ads that are interspersed throughout the day. Think of what all that money spent for preelection “Who Hah” and what good it could actually do. One or two weeks of those repetitive ads could be donated to St. Jude’s Children Hospital and save yet more children from cancer! In fact, if you can think of a local charity that might benefit from a big dose of money, just imagine the money dribbled away by a candidate who has no chance of being elected but just wants to be known and is willing to take any and all available funds to do so. Every time you see an ad on TV for any and all candidates, just think how much it must be costing and then think about how interesting it would be to take that same money and try to help our armed forces or even try to reduce our national debt.
Now I know that none of this is actually possible. Nope, I am too old and not clever enough to figure out how to do it. But I tell you what, I will not buy into this debacle by candidates who are pretending to provide actual information about what they will or will not, or cannot do when they are elected. Our current president tried and tried and was thwarted at every turn. And why? Because those who buy elections misread the public’s desire for changing policies. That he is of a different race was a tremendous shock to the vast number of people in our country who are still fighting the Civil War!
If you disagree with me and just find the political advertisements wonderful information opportunities, good for you. But me? I am saving myself for The Big Bang Theory. I bought a TV to laugh, cry or enjoy myself. Watching subsidized political advertising is a waste of my time and my money.