The Perpetual Election and Tuning Out

I have to admit that I am already tired of the presidential campaign. I used to wonder how folks could tune out of such an important event...now I totally understand. First, it seems like this election has been going on forever. I think that front-loaded calendar is a big mistake....what are we going to do until November...listen to the same ol' same ol' stuff. There have been a zillion debates, all of which have netted little in useful information for voters. The formats are horrible--confining candidates to nothing but soundbites. Charlie Rose has given candidates a full hour to flesh out their opinions and programs. We need to give serious time to the issues that affect our nation and 60 second answers will not cut it.

I am also tired of the Clinton soap opera. I will say it again...Hillary wants to be president yet every time we turn around here is Bill. The 1990s are over---what can she do for American in the 2000s? Can we trust that if she were in the White House he would not be pulling up a chair to weigh in on which course she should take? Also problematic is that Bill seems to be scared of Obama and he is going off half cocked on a regular basis...he got all red-faced on Charlie Rose when the topic of Obama came up...in another interview he's talked about Obama's message, etc. as being a "fairy tale," he was on Tom Joyner doing damage control for Hillary's civil rights comment and now in Nevada he's blowing up at another reporter, who is suggesting that a lawsuit related to the caucus locations is politically motivated. While the NYT's Maureen Dowd and some other pundits have suggested that Bill, unwilling to share the spotlight, is unconsciously sabotaging Hillary. She however has the ability to sideline him anytime she felt like it. Hillary probably believes that Bill is her ticket to the White House, but he may land her back in the Senate.

Lest I forget...why in the devil did the Clintons trot out Bob Johnson? Although he is a wealthy businessman he has little credibility among Black Americans..and certainly is no spokesman. Could it be that folks like Magic Johnson did not want to play the role of hatchet man while Bob Johnson---would for a future favor? Many folks believe that BET is a public nuisance and its content has exacerbated problems within poorer Black communities. Although that charge is debatable, what is clear is that Bob Johnson has done nothing, in relation to Black folks, that will not pad his bottom line...now he stands in judgment of Obama..PLEASSSE. At least Obama was candidate about his youthful indiscretions rather than giving some b.s. answer about not inhaling. Kick Johnson to the curb...or at least to NC.

People tune out of these elections because the candidates and their surrogates are not telling them how we are going to stave off a recession, educate our youth, create growth jobs in this country, get out of Iraq (in our lifetimes) or make sure that the sick can get health care.

I am off to Jamaica with my husband to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I'll try to get motivated when I get back. Maybe in the interim a miracle will occur and these candidates will actually be talking about something useful, rather than slinging mud and accusations to all of our detriments.

Peace