I don’t want to wish away the summer – but I’m going to be really, really happy when November gets here.
I hate to wish for the olden days, but honestly, if nothing else makes me nostalgic, politics certainly does.
The political atmosphere is killing me. I’m so sick of reading about it and hearing about it and listening to folks argue about it. It feels toxic no matter which candidate you plan to vote for. And believe me, I don’t care who you vote for.
I bet it was great when Presidential candidates had to roam the country by train and hold speaking engagements in the town circle. You could go listen to the speech if you wanted to or you could skip it and go to the pie baking contest.
You don’t need to be seen on social media – you can be up in the middle of the night looking for a snack and decide to go off on a political tirade on social media. Imagine how happy poor, sweaty Richard M. Nixon would have been if he could have had social media instead of that fateful TV appearance.
Donald Trump has nearly foregone political advertising and instead relies almost entirely on his Twitter feed. Which is fascinating to follow. It’s also a true spin-free zone – for better or worse, you decide – but those are his thoughts that come through, including those pet names like Crooked Hillary, Lyin’ Ted and all the rest.
Heaven knows what a mess Hillary Clinton has made of her emails. Amazing she got away with it for as long as she did, any 10-year old could have told her it was a bad idea. As for social media, well you don’t know if it’s her tweeting or posting to Facebook because she’s got a team of a zillion 20-somethings doing the posting for her.
I recently read an article that spoke about both campaigns efforts to use social media to appeal to a younger demographic. Good grief – if that’s the case they should be using Snapchat and Instagram, my grandmother is on Facebook – well not really my grandma, but I’m on Facebook and the Twitter and I’m in the grandma category (as hard as that is to even think about).
Snapchat is less political. And not one to be left out of cool stuff, I asked my youngest son to download it for me. Unfortunately, it’s one more thing to try to stay on top of and the only time I used it was to mask my face with ears and bunny teeth. A perfect way to wish the family a Happy Easter.
I don’t know how people have enough time in the day to be active on all the possible social media accounts.
Facebook is easy, but it will fool you. One moment you’re looking at somebody’s vacation pictures and then you go from a cute kitty sitting in a sink to a panda enjoying a Popsicle. Then you go away to get a little bit of work done, come back, and it’s all politics, including a rant from someone who swore to unfriend and/or block someone else because of their political views.
It has all become so personal, with words like “idiot” and “stupid” thrown around (and I’m not talking about Donald Trump) because one person doesn’t feel the same way another does.
I would love to limit the campaign season and the amount of dollars any candidate can use. And if that can’t happen, I’d like someone to invent a social media blocker. I’m all about free speech, but social media offers a nearly unlimited platform for speech – I just want to get away from listening. Kind of like the old days and the pie baking contest.
I’m not sure how much longer I can last. Maybe I’ll just go back to MySpace.
Probably a lot quieter.
Teddy Luba says
July 25, 2016 at 7:31 pmBest advice from my dad who has been gone for twenty years – DON’T TALK POLITICS OR RELIGION WITH PEOPLE YOU DON’T KNOW WELL. The same can be said about social media.
Brenda says
July 26, 2016 at 10:01 amWell it used to be a lot easier. Now I don’t have to talk about it, but with social media, I can’t always avoid all the other folks who are talking.
Kathy Fiebig says
July 30, 2016 at 6:08 pmHeck, Teddy, we have that policy at family reunions! 😀
Sue says
July 25, 2016 at 7:47 pmTeddy..unfortunately I can’t even talk to people I do know or am related to. No tolerance for any views that don’t line up with theirs. And they insist on bringing the conversations around to divisive topics.
Teddy Luba says
July 25, 2016 at 9:23 pmI have friends like that and I just listen and say nothing. Your not going to change their mind and its not worth losing friends over. Politicians know that if you keep repeating lies sooner or later people will believe them. That’s how Hitler got in power. Hang in there Sue, just settle down for the ride.
Loren M says
July 26, 2016 at 9:47 amTeddy ~ If they’re my friends or relatives they learned long ago that I’m practically incapable of saying nothing. They worry when I’m quiet as it may be the calm before the storm. My best friend for 40+ years probably said it best, “Oh crap, he’s thinking!
Brenda says
July 26, 2016 at 10:02 amI’m with Ted on this – I just choose not to have the conversation. Sometimes it’s really, really, hard. But there are a lot of people I like (and love) with diametrically opposing political views. I don’t want to lose them and some of them can’t keep quiet. So I try.
Loren M says
July 26, 2016 at 12:01 pmBrenda, I didn’t say I don’t try to keep quiet, just that I seldom try very hard. It’s just who I am and people I know not only expect to hear my opinion they ask for it or “call me out” on purpose. You don’t want to get into a “heated debate” with me because you’ll be the only one getting heated while I channel my Vulcan logic aka Mr. Spock.
Jim says
July 25, 2016 at 8:47 pmCall me old fashioned or out of the loop but I have never had a Facebook account or ever will. I don’t care to post my life’s events or pictures of my back yard barbecue. If I did I would have invited you. People say things behind a computer that they wouldn’t have the nerve to say in front of your face. Same with the politicians. I see enough on the news to satisfy me. To much of that too. From 4:30pm until 7:30 local news with some national news in between and then from 10 till 11:30. Talk about overkill. Kind of looses its appeal with the watered down repetitious stories.
Brenda says
July 26, 2016 at 10:03 amYup, you’re old fashioned. But that’s ok – look what you’re avoiding. 🙂
Tom says
July 26, 2016 at 9:34 amThat photo shows Herbert Hoover and Mrs. Hoover, I suppose, with two other people. Here is a link to a much better picture of Mrs. Hoover.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Hoover#/media/File:Lou.henry.on.a.burro.at.acton.CA.1891.08.22.jpg
Brenda says
July 26, 2016 at 10:04 amYes, that is a photo of the Hoovers. I was particularly looking for a politician on a train. Somehow I feel like those might have been days when it was much easier to avoid political conversations.
Loren M says
July 26, 2016 at 10:13 amBrenda ~ I’ll wish summer away for you as I intend to retire Jan. 1 but be on vacation/holiday before winter begins. I enjoy the political rhetoric as I can poke holes in any argument for either side. Defending Hillary is a bit more difficult, defending Trump is almost impossible. This is the most amusing election ever and it’s going to get worse or better, depending on how you view it.
Admit it, it’s like knowing two trains are about to collide. You know the results are going to be ugly but you can’t look away. Just thinking about it makes me want to take a shower.
Brenda says
July 26, 2016 at 2:15 pmCongratulations on your retirement. I know many find the political rhetoric interesting – I’m just exhausted by it. And while I agree about the train scenario – I think it’s more like knowing the two trains are about to collide and both are filled with some kind of acid that will destroy a lot of people when the hit – then being told you get to save one train. Just one.
ugh
Loren M says
July 27, 2016 at 11:23 amTwo trains filled with acid sounds like it’s right up John Auchter’s alley for an Auchtoon. I’m thinking “Toxic Avenger”, I can picture either Hillary or Trump walking away from the train wreck dripping with slime as others do a body count.