We are all witness to an amazingly historic presidential election full of monumental firsts. However, what was once a meaningful fight for the highest office in the land has turned into a junior high popularity contest. And for that reason we should all do our part to find that bit of apathy deep in our soul and wave it like an American flag on the Fourth of July.
For those who have decided on a candidate, congratulations! You don’t need to waste your time reading into the latest rumors coming from the campaign trail. As for those still undecided, it’s your duty as well to ignore both of these men until at least the first debate. At that point we may be able to grasp something substantive from either “The Agent of Change” or “The Original Maverick.”
What’s truly interesting is how instead of each candidate using this last bit of precious time to nail down their foreign policy or map out their plan for our struggling economy, they’re going to find out who exactly put that lipstick on the pig. I know name-calling cannot be tolerated; it’s disrespectful. But it’s also politics, unfortunately.
We have no one to blame for this little battle of wit (I use the term generously) but ourselves. America loves gossip. The excitement of two grown men making playground insults at one another was enough guff to get Paris Hilton in the political ad business. Now here we are, 47 days from maybe the most important election in the last century, and America has nothing on its mind except Bristol Palin’s baby daddy drama. I don’t know if someone forgot to tell America, but Bristol Palin isn’t running for president.
The next person to call 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. home is going to have a full plate of problems to combat. As of late, the status of our economy seems to be following the trend of President George W. Bush’s approval ratings. Did you know that as a citizen of the United States you now have a stake in A.I.G.? The government’s little $85 billion contribution came out of our tax dollars.
In addition, the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy will now have a profound effect on the manner in which investors make decisions and to the current value of the dollar in the credit market. The state of many 401K retirement funds now seems to be a major issue for people in America, but what does the next president intend to do to reassure investors their money will still be there when it comes time to leave the office for good?
The financial crisis is only one of many major issues given only cursory attention by the potential leaders of the free world.
Remember that war we’re fighting?
Iraq has now cost more than $500 billion. Depending on who gets the big chair in the oval office, that figure could continue to rise for years to come. Over 4,000 U.S. soldiers have now died in Iraq alone, with almost another 600 casualties in Afghanistan. More people have now died in Iraq than in the Sept. 11 attacks. What does the future leader of the free world intend to specifically do about these problems? No one is quite sure — the candidates have been a bit fuzzy on the issue, with both senators taking credit for opposing our imbecile president, but neither giving a concrete solution for successful withdrawal.
Maybe the candidates have something to offer on the subject of Medicare and Social Security; they are after all going to both become insolvent in the next 35 years. In 2018, Medicare will theoretically pay out more in benefits than it collects in tax revenue. The same rings true for Social Security in 2041. But alas, no firm details from either candidate. There are many ideas and allusions, but no answers.
The American media and citizens have warped this election into an episode of “E!” news. There is no substance on either side, only the age old rhetoric that has been the staple of American politics for generations. The only thing we can do now is ignore the election until the issues again become important.
When we indulge ourselves a healthy diet of rumor and gossip we are only contributing to the problem of meaninglessness in the political arena. If we ignored the relentless tongue-lashing by the candidates they would see we are truly ready to be adults and make a sound, informed decision. But as long as we waste our time into the latest smear, the candidates will continue to assume this is a battle of perception. Instead of fighting a superficial battle for respect between each other they should be fighting for us, the citizens of the United States of America.
Ben Patterson ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in political science.
