Case of the Mondays

Today's rant brought to you through a joint effort of politics and facebook.

Well the presidential election is here ... oh we still have about five months? Jesus. This is getting ridiculous. Yes, 17 months after announcing her candidacy for president, Hilary Clinton has dropped out of the race. That is right ... for nearly one and a half years I have had to listen to people talk about how super amazing their candidate is and how mentally unstable you would have to be to vote for anyone else. And now, we only have five more months of that very same thing. The sad thing is, two days after the election, someone will write a news article about the potential candidates for 2012.

I can understand the news, in nearly any medium it chooses, saturating America's tiny brains with election coverage for as long as possible. They are in a business and, evidently, it sells. This is also why I do not enjoy watching or reading the news. I should not have to struggle to find news stories that are actually pertinent to my life. Sorry, political races over a year and half before the election are not very pertinent to my life. My only serious annoyance with the mass media is their choice of stories with the candidates are ridiculous; mainly because they have to fill nearly two years of political shows, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week when you include that asinine crawl at the bottom of the screen. I mean, seriously? We are going to dissect from every angle what someone's pastor said to his congregation? I understand that maybe the pastor would influence a candidate, but I do not give a shit. Mass news media ... just tell me about the issues (not the unimportant bullshit that should not be a part of a government but somehow is a major issue these days, but things like economic policy, health care, education, defense, environment).

My major beef with all of this is in my generation. I am happy that many people I know get very involved in politics. Someone has to and its the future and blah blah I think I just choked on my own vomit. I got so sick and tired of facebook, which throws its news feed in my face, being a display ground for all rabid fans of some political candidate. Guess what asshole, not only may I not like your candidate, but I really do not want to join one of the 47 groups you created for them or lambasting another candidate. To sound like Stephen A. Smith -- who, just like these people, has no idea what he is talking about -- "Quite frankly, I don't give a flying fuck at the moon about your candidate or the alleged bias of the media or anything else. Shut up and leave me alone." As a fairly intelligent individual I plan to do what I always do for an election ... wait until the final ballot is set, read about both candidates policies on the issues, listen to the debates, review the policies again, decided who I am voting for, and then I will vote. I really do not need people to harass me with propaganda, and that is really all it is.

Lastly, there are three types of people who I hate more than anything. The first are ones who vote straight party, no matter what. Really? Way to help out democracy. If you review all the issues and candidacy and end up voting straight party ... wonderful. I have no qualms. But if you walk to the voting center, grab a party voting sheet to help, and go to town on your ballot without knowing what you are really voting for .... I probably hate you. Secondly, people who vote or think a certain way because their parents, church, or alien abductors told them that was the correct way to vote or think. Here is a novel fucking idea ... THINK FOR YOURSELF. If it is the same as they said then I am glad you share similar beliefs ... and if not, good job on breaking away intellectually. Third, and most importantly, I hate people who use politics as a basis for friendship. "Oh I couldn't be their friend because they voted for _________." Really? Come on now ... there are plenty of character flaws in each of us to drive you to not be friends with someone. Differing beliefs should not be one of them.

As for me and this election? I am obviously voting for _________ because I am a ___________ and my mom/dad/pastor told me to vote that way and if you vote for anything else... I will never speak to you again. You (liberal, moderate, or conservative) piece of panda poo.