I don’t care as much about Election Day as the day after, and the four years after.
I have blogged quite a bit about the Blame Society over the years. And yes, presidential politics have been a nasty, brutish sport since men wore wigs and stockings.
But if we come out of this nasty election with a nation split down the middle, and a government seemingly paralyzed as a result, Lord help us.
Will whoever wins find a Magic Key to get people on Capitol Hill working with the White House? Will the opposing party in general try to prevent the new (or re-elected) president from getting anything done, or try to find room for compromise?
So many folks are angry at The Evil Other Side that many others are scared to death of continued paralysis and inability to tackle serious problems, from the deficit to … well one of my last dead-trees editions of Bloomberg Businessweek has a black-and-red cover shouting ‘IT’S GLOBAL WARMING, STUPID” over a picture of flooded Manhattan.
We’re so busy trying to blame that we can’t seem to remember how to give-and-take, compromise and deal with issues that stare us in the proverbial face.
Just about every time I lay that out to folks, I’m looked at by some as some naive pathetic Kumbaya-singing wishy-washy flip-flopper.
I know better. I’m as damned angry as they are. But I’m angry at THEM, both sides, for letting it get to this point. To believe that Your Side is the Chosen Good Guys and anyone who doesn’t agree is evil — that is a new low we seem to have come to, in that we now all have, through the Internet, ady access to the carefully spun “facts” that buttress our biases and rain evil motives on those who dare disagree.
Imagine if the Founding Fathers had Facebook and anonymous comment systems to fling THEIR mud. Would we still have a functioning country today?
Do we now? And who do you blame for that? More importantly, what are you willing to do to make it better?
I don’t believe people are turned off to politics because they believe all of them are lying, cheating scoundrels — well, some are, of course — as much as they’ve thrown up their hands at all involved for being childish clenched-fist whiners who see political (and probably financial) advantage in doing more blaming than solving, more chest-beating than sitting down at a table with the Other Side and seeing if there’s room for … gasp … COMPROMISE!
That there are huge lines in Florida and Ohio, hours-long waits for folks wanting to vote is a TRAVESTY, whether you believe it’s Your Side or The Other Side behind it. It’s one thing to struggle with a massive storm’s aftermath and its impact on the voting process, but playing politics with people’s right to vote should be unconscionable, no matter what way your personal political weathervane spins.
So. Day after the election. Win or lose. What will YOU be saying, in person or at your keyboard?
If that depends on who wins, than I daresay that mindset is as much the problem as … who wins.
IMHO (In My Not-So-Humble Opinion;-)
Leave it to Barney 
I might be writing about how happy I am that the yard signs have disappeared (they spoil the view), and I get my TV programming back. That’s a big win for me!
I hear ya. But that’s more universal and has been going on a lot longer than what we’re seeing now. I understand so well why so many will be glad to get back to normal TV, normal life etc. and leave politics to the politicians. I just hope enough care enough to send a message to the elected folks to stop blaming and start doing their jobs. ‘Toxic’ politics could send us down a very scary road.