Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Political Seasons
While Vermonters can claim to have an extra season, lovingly referred to as “Mud” Season, all of us can relate to the media inundation of mud that occurs during political season. For months now, we have had phone calls asking for whom we will vote. I feel that I’ve been talking to air and that perhaps no one writes down my answers, because whomever calls asks the same question, again and again. I suppose there are various agencies of pollsters who call and that probably accounts for the situation.
In addition, we have had flyers in our mailbox and jammed into our door handles. I am waiting for even one of them to truthfully tell me what the candidate will do to improve the quality of my life, once he or she has more time on their hands, time left free due to not having to think up more slurs for the opposition.
Then, we have the talking heads on the radio and television, with their endless speculations as to how “close” the race is, and what the outcome might be. One station, in particular, is clearly for one presidential candidate, and constantly predicts his ultimate supremacy, in spite of the actual odds of a win.
The political conventions were fun to watch, particularly the Democratic one. The crowd was enervated, and there were some great speakers. A lot has happened in this country since then, not much of it pretty. I don’t know the genius who woke up one day to discover and to pronounce that we, as a country, and as individuals, are in real financial difficulty. The writing has been on the wall for a long time. A lot of the problem, a pervasive one indeed, has to do with people not taking personal responsibility for the way they conduct their own home finances such as the misuse of credit cards and getting overextended.
Just in a few short months, we have gone from a more hopeful nation to one that relies on “Joe, the Plummer” to win a campaign.
Politics, at their best, help to move the country forward so that we can feel free from external threats, and safe from maltreatment of those who would try to steal occupations by layoffs, outsourcing, etc. It’s time that we looked out for ourselves as a nation.
Somehow the Mud Season (Vermont’s fifth season) and the Mudslinging of the Political Season just don’t equate. The first is fairly benign, by comparison. I, for one, will be so glad when this political season is over. Ah, just the thought of it: no more phone calls, no more flyers, no more speeches, no more speculative television pundits, … it will seem like a great relief.
Patricia Cummings
