The Sprint To The Finish

Hello. My name is Jerry Rosen and I am a political junkie (this is where everyone in the room says, “Hi, Jerry”). Yes, I am and have been addicted to politics for as long as I can remember. I have been told I can get pretty passionate about my work, my family, just about anything – hey, I’m a passionate type of guy. So, it is hard to just watch the political dance and not want to stay informed. Sometimes I even have opinions (NO!). Yes.

I have been thinking back about the past year-and-a-half and how many twists and turns this county has been through. As we went through each primary caucus and election I was trying to understand the rules imposed by each State with respect to delegates. It just boggles my mind that as we have entered the first of two political conventions it is all coming down to a 70 day sprint to Election Day. Just a few debates, two for each Presidential nominee and one, or two, for the two Veep candidates.

The big guns are being dragged out now, the powder is about to be lit and the cannon balls are about to fly. I sense a very nasty contest in the next couple of months and that makes me sad. While I may be a political junkie I don’t enjoy negative politics regardless of the party or candidate that employs those types of tactics. I grew up in the Mid-west with values from the 1950s. Call me Beaver but I just don’t think either party has to spill blood to make their point.

I can understand each candidate thinks he’s the best thing since sliced bread. If you don’t have ego, you cannot be in this game. But I would much prefer to see candidates, at every level including local, state and national, define themselves for us and not try to define their opponent. We are obtaining more voters through stronger registration efforts every election cycle but there is one recurring theme I hear coming from the youngest and newest voters – stop with the negative stuff and tell us who you are and what you stand for.

And stop promising us you are going to turn straw into gold. Maybe that is where the term “spin” comes from? Without Congress no President can get anything passed. They don’t tell us “I would like to get the following things done when I am in the White House”. They say “On my first day in office I am going to turn the moon into green cheese!” “On the first day in office”. Have YOU kept track of all the first day in office promises that have been made or the first 30 or 60 day in office promises? Isn’t it just a little bit silly to think anyone believes either Presidential candidate can do even 10% of what they are promising? Have they forgotten they need the House of Representatives and the Senate to get the bills created, passed, conferenced and then sent to the White House to be signed into law? Oh, please.

What will occur during the next two months is not lost on the media. Cable TV and the networks are going to be at a fever pitch selling ads at the highest possible price every day and every night. Only this election is different for them because we have this thing called the World Wide Web. It has been around for many years but is now the main source of news for the majority of folks all around the world. We are getting close to ending the era of high cost ads for this once every four year event too. I know we are going in the direction of getting all our political news on the Internet, in e-mails and text messages but there is something about the pageantry and seeing speakers deliver memorable lines live on TV that I still enjoy.

Popcorn at the ready, football helmet on for safety (never know what is going to fly), waders on (it probably will get deep), TV with fresh batteries (just kidding), I am ready. Let the final days of this very important national election begin. Ya gotta love it…