Originally I was going to write something about the two Republican Presidential debates that took place over this past weekend. After giving it some thought I have decided instead to ramble about some (certainly not all) of my views on politics before addressing a particular issue or the 2012 election. Politics can be a thorny issue. Emotions and passions run high. By writing this I hope that whoever reads anything I write on politics has a better idea of where I am coming from.

Don’t Mind

I really don’t mind discussing politics. I’d actually say that most of the time I enjoy it. Like my first post for this site stated, I like discussion and I would consider myself pretty open-minded. So, I’m interested in hearing viewpoints even if I don’t agree with them. That doesn’t mean I’m devoid of anger when discussing issues. That doesn’t mean I don’t get flabbergasted at some things that are said. I’m passionate. I know a lot of people don’t like discussing politics because it can quickly turn into a name calling shouting match. Even if it doesn’t get that heated, it changes people’s perceptions of others. I do wish more people were comfortable talking about politics in part because I believe a lot of good can come out of respectful conversations.

Don’t Know

This is something that is really important to me. I don’t claim to know everything. The more I think about it I really don’t know much. Sure, I would consider myself as someone who is tuned in to what is going on in the world, but there is a lot going on. The world is very complex. Not necessarily talking about politics, but it seems to me people are quick to tell us how things are. Everyone has an opinion on everything and they want you to know about it. I don’t see anything wrong with saying, “I don’t know” or “I don’t know enough about that.” Why? Because that’s the truth. I don’t know. I don’t know enough to have what I feel is a valid opinion on the issue. As The Dude once said there’s, “a lotta ins, a lotta outs, a lotta what-have-yous.” Any and every topic of conversation in politics is complex. Even the topics I feel I know well I don’t know EVERYTHING about. I do my best to be educated, but there’s a lot out there and it’s all very complicated.

Media

A great deal of any of my anger towards politics can be traced back to the media (largely speaking about local news and 24-hour news networks). Sometimes the media do a fantastic job covering politics and news (in a general sense). Too much of the time however, I am left dissatisfied. I believe in personal responsibility. In the case of an election each person should take it upon themselves to be informed. But I also think the media miss the mark greatly when it comes to assisting in that process. The focus is rarely, if ever, on informing the public about the candidates (or measures) on a ballot. I would think the 24-hour cable news networks especially would find time to really layout that information. It’s a topic for another day, but they seem to think it’s more important to tell me that Kate Middleton turned 30 years old. So, like many things these days, the media is entertainment. I expect better.

Media & Strategy

When it comes to politics, strategy is one of the two things the media tend to emphasize. The coverage is mostly about what the candidates are trying to do to win. Yesterday, Mitt Romney said something about liking the ability to fire people who provide services to him. Last night and this morning a ton of the coverage was about how all the other candidates, including President Obama, were going to capitalize on his statement. How they were going to characterize him as someone that has left a lot of people out of work. About what it would mean for the New Hampshire primary, down the road, etc. How much this small statement would hurt his chances. That was the focus. It was all about strategy. Is that important? We all know that these candidates on some level, some much larger than others, are pandering for votes. Do we really need to focus on what someone from Candidate X’s campaign thinks about what Romney said? I have a pretty good feeling that they will try to capitalize on it politically. Why? Because that’s their job. To get more votes. To win an election. Is it the media’s job to spend the bulk of their time playing into that? While writing this I checked msnbc.com and was greeted with this main headline: “Road ahead looks favorable for Mitt Romney” On foxnews.com the caption to the main headline is: “GOP rivals hope a poorer-than-expected showing from Romney in the nation’s first Republican primary in New Hampshire could mean he’s vulnerable in South Carolina, where next week’s Fox News debate may be key factor.” Is that what we are looking for out of our media?

Media & Polling

The media’s obsession with election polling drives me absolutely crazy. It really bothers me. The question is, is it important? I can’t tell you one major reason why it’s important. It tells me the way other people are voting. What’s the value in it? The presentation of pre-election polling, I believe, does more harm than good. This is a lot of people’s mindset: “Candidate X is up by 9 points in the polls. Why bother voting?” Indifference sets in (even more so). (And this has nothing to do with the feeling of your vote not mattering even if it can actually swing a close election. The system is rigged mentality.) Don’t get me wrong, these polls shouldn’t dissuade people from voting, but I know it does. People have told me as much. And I know why the media harp on it (money talks (in so many ways)). More and more there is a thirst to be first. A thirst to be the fastest. To be the network that broke a story. To be the network that can tell you what is going to happen before it actually happens. To be the network that tells you the winner before a single vote is cast. It would be something else if polls were a small part of the coverage, but they dominate the coverage. Polls are headlines. Polls are top stories. This bothers me a great deal.

This type of coverage overshadows actual substance, actual ideas. In the case of elections the coverage is more focused on who is going to win than what the candidates’ ideas and policies are. Ideas and policies are glossed over at best. It’s more about the strategy a candidate is taking in an attempt to win. In the general election the focus will be about President Obama and whoever the Republicans nominate siphoning off 50% +1 of the vote in “battleground” states. It won’t be presented in those direct terms, but that will be the underlying current in the coverage. I believe that’s rather shameful. And it’s not one of those, “it is what it is” situations and I (we) should just accept it. Call me crazy but I expect better.

My Political Stance

I consider myself to be independent politically. There are tons of issues and tons of factors within those issues. Combine the range of issues with the complexities involved within those issues and there is a lot to consider. Some issues I find extremely important, some I don’t. Either way I don’t identify with one political party. Heck, it’s hard to identify with one individual in an election. So, what I try to do is get informed and think about things in their full scope. Whatever the case may be I try to make up my mind on my own.