We all know it: middle school and high school politics rule our adolescent years. Unfortunately, as we are preparing to graduate from high school, especially we of the Class of 2008, we naïvely think that our lives in the Real World will cease to be governed by such prevailent evils as Popularity and Rumour and Lying Backstabbers. Nothing is better evidence of the sad untruth of this belief that the campaigns for the 2008 Presidential elections. Today's issue of the Times features a "He Said-She Said" account of a Clinton-Obama spat regarding flip-flopping and (essentially) who will make a better President. Obama accused Clinton of changing views on how Iran's situation should be handled. Clinton said the opposing things she said were on two completely different matters as "meeting with" and "negotiating with" are entirely separate things.
Frankly, who really wants to vote for anyone that pulls such infantile rubbish out of their Bag o' Campaign Tricks? Could we be more childish here? I was shocked that there is even any "Iran Situation" to be dealt with in the next couple of years. As someone whose boyfriend is in the Air Force, to be working alongside Spec Ops in the next year or so, we better not have an "Iran Situation." [Aside]Air Force doesn't deploy many troops, but when they do, Spec Ops are among the first to go (just behind Police Forces), along with the guys that fix their equipment. I think I am duly troubled, here.[/Aside] I think the greater question is, can the US Armed Forces and the military budget handle another "Situation" at this point? The answer should be a resounding NO from anyone keeping track of the deficit figures (a hint: there are ten figures, if you catch my drift). Or the news. We're losing ground in the Middle East. We aren't doing anything to help either, merely making all of the area increasingly irate with our various bills declaring among other things, that the Armenian Genocide was, as the name implies, a genocide. Was that necessary? The whole world already knows that, doesn't it? I always thought so, but even if I'm wrong, I think it probably could have waited. You know, at least until our War on Terror ends. If it ends. Good thing we're fighting nouns; verbs are much more vicious.
But I digress. Year after year, we see political campaigns hinge on who is a dirtier stinkin' liar! And the term we use to justify it is "mudslinging." Yeah, you know how monkeys are known to throw excrement? I think that's a more accurate description. But to make things even more obscenely high school...Clinton and Obama are both Democratic candidates. We haven't even gotten through the primaries, and it's very clear what sort of candidates we are dealing with here! "She's a dirty lying flip-flopper!" "Am not, he's just jealous because he's losing in the polls and doesn't have any friends!" "MOMMMMMM. Hilary says I don't have any friends. She's a dirty liar!" "What a baby." And so on.
Good job, democrats. SO GLAD we've found such competent front-running candidates. And it's not like the Republican candidates are any better, either. I feel like I've read the last sentence of the book, and it was "And that's how America got totally screwed."
Am I asking for so much here? All I want is for ONE PERSON to sit back and watch this with one raised eyebrow, and stand up in debates and say not what we want to hear, but what they plan to do if they're elected. I want to see someone give a real answer instead of some canned politico bull. I don't want someone with all the answers. I want to see ONE CANDIDATE who knows how to complete an entire sentence without uttering a single thing they know is not true. That is the candidate I will vote for, regardless of their political stance.
Aren't we growing tired of high school YET? I just can't see why this country's leaders should act like my class' officers...who do nothing. Am I wrong to think it should be different?
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Popularity is human nature, not childish. How can I help that I have more friends than John Doe? Americans pick their Presidents the same way. If one of the candidates says something bad about another, then they will defend their position. This is completely normal for a human being to defend themselves when they think they are right. I think you are bitter about not being popular, so you justify your argument by branding popularity as childish. As for your comment about your class officers, I can say from experience (Class Vice President from 9th to 11th grade, and now Student Council Vice President) that many people are bitter towards class officers because they say that we only got our positions because people like us, and that we do "nothing". Once again, jealousy leads to necessary justification to ease your mental woes. People forget that the officers run the class and make sure that everything goes smoothly with class operations. Just like people tend to forget that the President operates the country (even though Bush does a horrible job of it). Stop trying to justify the "terror" of popularity and accept that some people to better than others in life in certain areas. I'm sure that you excel somewhere in life (besides the fact that I totally disagree with you, your writing is a brilliant example of exemplary achievement which gets 5 stars from me), so take the areas in which you excel and move on- forget about getting caught up in other people's business.
I have to disagree. I live in a bit of a bubble; I don't interact with my classmates much so I am largely unaware of whatever popularity crap goes on. I find this pleasant. As for my class officers--you'd have to have worked with them to find how little they actually do.
My point is that elections should be based at least 95% on who is most qualified (on a national level, I don't really care about high school elections), not on who is better at insulting their opponents or recovering from the insults their opponents throw their way. The mudslinging and general political bull conceals the issues at hand--the Iraq War, impending economic recession, deficit spending, and so on. Isn't that the idea of holding debates and having political platforms?
My point was not that it's a stupid popularity contest; obviously popularity is what makes majority rule possible. My point is that the people running the country should be less petty than high school girls. And that yesterday's Times article on the Clinton-Obama spat proved that several of our candidates are no more mature than high school girls, not even a little.
Popularity, I can take or leave. But America needs solutions, not more charisma. I want solutions before charm. That's all.
First to make a point: You might do something as a class officer, but ours are assuredly the popular girls and most assuredly do nothing.
Moving on! I think you're kind of missing the point here. The point of Kitts's piece was that the presidential elections are currently (as always) mired in style over substance. It's not about who can lead more effectively and in a more positive direction, it's about what an idiot the other guy is. This popularity isn't based on one person being "cool," it's based on everyone else being made out to be "losers." And that's wrong.
--Samus
(if you're not outraged, you're not paying attention)
That is life some people are more capable on having more friends than others.
I feel that Obama always starts something about Clinton first. I dislike him and other Presidential candidate because they seem to make random attacks on her. AND about Clinton's vote for War in Iraq. Obama said he would've voted against the war if he could at the time. At least, Clinton made her voice heard and voted. Obama didn't vote at all. Which one is worse? They should stop blaming flip-flop crap (forgive my language) already because people change and it's natural for politicians to change their position AFTER they realize the price for what they voted.
Popularity has been around since forever. People want to be well known. Some desperate people would do anything to have a 5 min fame. Beautiful in Hollywood and celebrities in music industry have some influence on kids. They just want to be loved...
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Guiliani says things people don't want to hear.
Like,
I support gay marriage even though I don't think it's natural.
or
I support abortion even though I don't believe in it myself.
He's willing to go against his own beliefs to give the American people what they want.
And nobody seems to be really excited about him.
Just a comment... not really sure where I'm going with this, because I'm not really sure where my vote lays (other than NOT with Hillary).