Oh So Tired of Politics, This Year!

Should any of these four be in the White House? I say "NO!" What say you?

I’m tired. Oh, so tired.

It’s not my age as I near 65.

It’s politics, one of my three passions along with writing and golf.

Until recently; politics is out, sort of; not writing or golf.

The elections—presidential, senatorial, gubernatorial, and others—have me in a funk.

It’s not just the commercials and the debates.

It’s also the coverage thereof by the media.

It’s the discussion by others, non-politicians, non-media.

It goes on and on.

From politicians, surrogates, journalists, writers, reporters, opines, friends, family and many I’ve never met.

I studied politics in college: BA degree, political science, NC State University '77.

I used my degree to help predict and call elections in North Carolina for United Press International. That was in the late 1970s, early 1980s.

I used to love to get involved in campaigns from stuffing envelopes, to placing yard signs, to making phone calls, to sending emails, to writing letters to the editor, to learning the new methods of Twitter et al.

Not anymore.

It’s too aggressive these days; it’s too negative.

The candidates are more and more negative.

The news media doesn't tell you everything, just what it wants to report.

I’m not sure of the candidates’ platform, what they are for except stuff that should not be left up to politics and government oversight.

I only hear what they say their opponents are for or against. It’s frustrating.

Just because one says another is for or against something doesn’t mean the candidate speaking has the opposite stance. It’s all about getting elected no matter what.

The press, the media, the television commentators and questioners, the newspaper reporters, the editorial writers, the radio interviewers and show hosts are all so biased, at least to me and probably to many others.

Trust in the media is no better than trust in the presidential nominees of the two major parties.

Instead of reporting, the media decides what to report and usually not the entire story due to space and time limitations. And the stories are usually slanted for one candidate or against another. The media reports on campaigning, not issues. It’s not fair.

Now, it’s two weeks before the elections.

Voting is underway in many states.

I’ll cast a ballot, I’ll vote on November 8 for sure. Early voting is not as exciting as going to the polls that day. But I might vote early, just to get it behind me.

But I’ll probably not for every office. That's not a cop-out. If there's no one I want, I do not have to vote for that office from the top of the ballot to the bottom.

The selections for President are not worthy of my vote; none of them. The two major presidential candidates include one who is a liar and one who will not tell the truth. You decide who is who.

The candidates for senator in North Carolina rarely campaign on their overall record, preferring to condemn the other.

In the race for North Carolina governor, both are career politicians who challenge each other with memorized verse. One is in favor of bad legislation; the other says he will repeal bad legislation but he will not have legislative support to do it, so is he lying?

Politics is a mess, right now, in every sense of the words “politics” and “mess.”

So, what to do?

That’s easy.

For the next two weeks, I’ll read no more about politics or government. I’ll watch and listen to no television or radio shows dedicated to news and the gossip “Hollywood” shows. The Presidential debate should only be watched for a good laugh, entertainment purposes at best.

I suggest you do the same.

If for no other reason than your sanity, keeping it that is.

And, to stop being tired. Oh, so tired.

One last thing. Tired or not, I'll stay up election night to see who wins all the races. Politics is one of my passions, you know.