campaign season

I like to listen to the radio and news while I work.  It motivates me and keeps me on task.  That and I get to learn a lot as I go.  It's like über multi-tasking or something.  Well, this past week as I've been keeping tabs on the news, a few things really rubbed me the wrong way.  Usually I'll save these quandaries for my husband, but I felt it was time to pull my old soapbox as it's been getting a bit dusty.

It began when  I was listening to NPR, who had it's public funding cut this past year and now relies almost entirely on private sponsorship and donations from listeners.  There was a report stating that Palestinian Sesame Street  had lost its funding as well.  From who?  Us.  And by us, I mean the U.S.  Why were we funding public broadcasting longer in the Middle East than at home?  Then it got better.  Israel is still getting funding.

Now, Israel is a totally different subject which I am not even going to remotely tackle right now.  My issue is with the fact that PBS and NPR are barely scraping by, but Israel gets funding for Sesame Street? Not only that, but we don't even have NASA anymore!  I don't get it...


This frustration was only egged on by the results of last Saturday's South Carolina primary.  Newt Gingrich won.  Heavily.

I don't get it.

Here is a man who has served in a high ranking public office and has been chastised mercilessly and incessantly on all fronts for his actions.  Before I even knew I could vote at the age of 18, I knew Newt was up to no good.

I don't get it.  I don't understand how he can get so much of a vote when the public KNOWS what he has done in public office.  How on earth is that going to change when we give him launch codes?

Then I get frustrated with the treatment of Mitt Romney.  In the past week he's lost headway because of his financial statements.  Why?  Has he embezzled funds?  No.  Has he been dishonest about how much he makes?  No.  Has he withheld information?  No, not really.  So, what's the issue?

He makes too much money.

Are you kidding me people?!  He makes too much?  So you take issue with the guy who successfully built up an internationally acclaimed company, was able to invest his money wisely, and retire early?  You take issue with the guy who lives off what he has made and doesn't take from someone else?  Who has served as a governor of a state and never had any drama arise?  Yeah, he standardized health care for Massachusetts, but he did that at the state level.  The STATE level.  Not the national level.  Much, much different.

That said, I will give you points for disliking him for his foreign relations.  He kind of sucks with that.


My fear is that this is going to turn into 2008 all over again, where the GOP is left with a candidate barely worth recognition, let alone support.  What happened to picking the candidate who we think will really do the job wisely?  This is the time to choose, right now in the primary.  And it's just a mess.


All right, I'm done.  I'll get back to happy pictures of art pieces and oatmeal tomorrow, I promise.  In the meantime, go vote.