American political scene

It's a scene all right. An accidental scene and I'm not sure there are any survivors.

I haven't been able to bring myself to watch the presidential and vice-presidential debates. I had a choice among 1) hitting myself in the head with a club full of pointy objects, 2) poking myself in the eye with a sharp pencil, 3) banging my head on the wall 12 times in succession, or 4) watching the debates. I determined that #4 was the most paintful, and I didn't like the other three very much either, so I read a book or watched HGTV (still my favorite channel). I knew I wouldn't get anything substantive out of watching the debates, unless you consider massive indigestion substantive, and I was low on Tums, which was one of the deciding factors. Well, that and the thought that TV programs should be fun to watch, entertaining, enlightening, uplifting, or informative, which the debates are not. I'll wait for the Economist magazine's edition in late October, where I know I'll be able to read an objective dissection of what each candidate really believes, has done or plans to do. Meanwhile, I'm declaring myself to be a "plaid" voter--a little red, a little blue. That's in honor of my Scottish ancestry...

November 4th may be the last day we have to endure campaign ads, but I have a terrible feeling that we will hear analysis of the race, the tactics, the results for a very long time. Who elected the media anyhoo? I think we need a referendum on the next ballot that limits political "after-thoughts" by any person involved with the print, video or audio sectors of the media. We could limit all analysis and commentaries by the media to mimes. Silence is golden....