I'd like to pretend that we've been away for the past couple of weeks just as a ploy to generate interest through our absence, but I can't. For one thing, that doesn't really make any sense, and for another, that's not at all why we haven't written. We each have our different reasons for our prolonged silence: Angie has (on behalf of our daughter) been sucked into the time vacuum that is Webkinz World, and I... well, I've been kind of wary of writing what's on my mind. Because what's been on my mind is... politics.
Due to my personal strong belief in and support of the FairTax, I started the primary season off as a supporter of Mike Huckabee, who is also a supporter of said FairTax. After he dropped out of the race, I really didn't care much for any of the remaining candidates. I mean, they were all likable enough as people, and I was actually interested in the early promise of a civil, informative general campaign season in which a couple of guys who weren't your average politician had debates and possibly "town hall meetings" wherein they expounded upon their differing policies for making America a better place in a rational and respectful manner. I think the Saddleback forum came closest to this (by the way, I take issue with the idea that either side "won" that forum; both candidates answered the questions and presented their ideas in a way that made sense, and you the viewer/listener were left to decide with whom you agreed). Unfortunately, since then the campaigns of both candidates have proven that they are, in fact, your average politician, and my hopes for a civil October have been dashed. Having said that, as much as I tell myself not to, I still can't seem to stop myself from reading the news stories about the name-calling and mud-slinging that is going on.
And so, I haven't felt like writing. It all just makes me mad. I thought these guys were better than that. I hoped at least one of them would be better than that, to give the American people a leader who takes the high road every time. Instead, I find myself wishing that Google Labs or someone would come up with a way of re-inserting Huckabee into the race. He may not be above that stuff, either (I think he'd be better, though he definitely showed one or two signs of low-road willingness late in his campaign, if I recall), but at least we'd have a candidate who would be pushing for the FairTax, and I could find solace in that.
Due to my personal strong belief in and support of the FairTax, I started the primary season off as a supporter of Mike Huckabee, who is also a supporter of said FairTax. After he dropped out of the race, I really didn't care much for any of the remaining candidates. I mean, they were all likable enough as people, and I was actually interested in the early promise of a civil, informative general campaign season in which a couple of guys who weren't your average politician had debates and possibly "town hall meetings" wherein they expounded upon their differing policies for making America a better place in a rational and respectful manner. I think the Saddleback forum came closest to this (by the way, I take issue with the idea that either side "won" that forum; both candidates answered the questions and presented their ideas in a way that made sense, and you the viewer/listener were left to decide with whom you agreed). Unfortunately, since then the campaigns of both candidates have proven that they are, in fact, your average politician, and my hopes for a civil October have been dashed. Having said that, as much as I tell myself not to, I still can't seem to stop myself from reading the news stories about the name-calling and mud-slinging that is going on.
And so, I haven't felt like writing. It all just makes me mad. I thought these guys were better than that. I hoped at least one of them would be better than that, to give the American people a leader who takes the high road every time. Instead, I find myself wishing that Google Labs or someone would come up with a way of re-inserting Huckabee into the race. He may not be above that stuff, either (I think he'd be better, though he definitely showed one or two signs of low-road willingness late in his campaign, if I recall), but at least we'd have a candidate who would be pushing for the FairTax, and I could find solace in that.
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Update: This CNN lady apparently reads my blog and agrees with me. :-)
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