Thursday, November 04, 2010

It's Finally Over

When we started the Playground the five of us decided that there were a few topics we weren't going to touch on our blog. Politics was one of them. We just didn't want our blog to turn into a free for all debate over issues that couldn't be solved in 500 words or less. So let me just say, this post is not exactly about politics. It's more about my relief that the elections are over. Finally.

No more phone calls from candidates asking for my vote. No more people bugging me for my opinion or asking me how I intend to vote. But mostly, I'm so happy the political ads have stopped.

I think it gets worse every single election. I don't care which party you belong to, which candidate you support or which race you thought was the most important...the ads this year were never ending. It got to the point where I didn't want to vote for any of them because I was so tired of hearing their names. I was watching NBC Tuesday night and I think one of the quotes their shared sums up my thoughts exactly. On gentleman came out of the polling place and said he voted for anyone whose name he didn't recognize. It's an interesting philosophy I might have to consider next election.

So, was I the only one ready for it all to end? Again, we're not opening the comments section for a discussion of politics...just your relief that the hoopla is finally over. :-)

Instigator

P.S. For anyone in the Birmingham area, PC, Lynn Raye Harris and I will be at the Southern Magic Readers' luncheon this Saturday. I'm not sure if they still have spots available but there is a book signing open to the public. Check out their website at www.southernmagic.org if you're interested.

11 comments:

Christine said...

I had a hard time voting here because the dynamics are so different here than up north. It's like it is all flip flopped. Any rate, I remember staining the deck and listening to the radio and the commercials were hilarious. Some of those names are quite interesting. I am glad it is over as well. I did my bit, voted, and came home.

Now it's back to my bat cave. And I wish I could go to the Southern Magic luncheon! My Darling Teen has a theater competition on the 6th. It's the first SM Readers luncheon I will miss since I moved here in 2008 :-(.

Linda Winstead Jones said...

Amen. I'm SO GLAD the political ads are behind us. No more calls, commercials, or mailers, which went right into the trash. I think political candidates should be limited to advertising themselves through a number of televised debates so we can see for ourselves what they know and what they intend to do if elected. No calls, no TV ads. Not that I think that idea will go over well . . . with anyone . . . :-)

Andrea Laurence AKA Smarty Pants said...

I think they shouldn't be allowed to raise money. Then they'd have to depend on debates and public townhalls to get their messages out. No stupid plastic signs in every yard, no robocalls, stupid tv ads, no blizzard of mailers in my postbox. I actually got three different cards from a guy in one day that said nothing about him, just nastiness about his opponent. Its pointless, really.

And I'll tell you, despite my political leanings, I voted the opposite in one election simply because his people called my house EVERY NIGHT. Voting for a name I don't know is a solid idea. This guy's name was burned into my brain.

I also had a hard time taking someone with the first name Twinkle seriously. I know they can't help it, but come on...

Playground Monitor said...

Somehow (thankyoutothehigherpowers) I was under the radar with the robo calls. I didn't get a single one. I got a handful during the primaries but none after that. I did get the mailbox full of flyers daily and like SP, got several from the same person in one day. All went straight into the trash and I thought about all the hungry people who could have been fed with the money spent on those discarded flyers.

I'm glad it's over too.

catslady said...

IT SHOULD BE SHORTER. sorry for yelling. They already said now they are going to start campaigning for the next elections 2 YEARS FROM NOW. sorry again. I've been sick and they have been waking me up with phone calls for the last month. It seems like it really is no longer about what they can do for the people as to THEIR party just has to win. I'm almost 60 and I have never felt so depressed about what our elections have come to. They all distort the truth. And fuel was added to the fire when they now allow corporations to have the same rights as people so foreigners get to decide too. Sorry, you really hit a nerve lol.

Alicia Hunter Pace (aka Jean Hovey and Stephanie Jones) said...

Oh, dear God yes. I can't go into it a lot here because elaborate jokes just sound lame in the retelling but I have a friend who declared himself a non-candidate for a non-election, complete with website, yard signs, and t shirts. On election night, about a dozen of us gathered in the bar of Decatur Country Club to celebrate the non-success of his non-campaign.

I need to get his sign out my yard but I'll save it. He promises to be be back in 2012.

Christine said...

Jean, I have to meet this dude. Decatur Country Club? Where is that located?

Andrea Laurence AKA Smarty Pants said...

Ah, Jean! A man after my own heart. A guy I went to high school with ran for Senior Citizen during school elections. Had big banners and buttons and everything. It was awesome. Then, sadly, he got suspended for it. School administrators have NO sense of humor.

Alicia Hunter Pace (aka Jean Hovey and Stephanie Jones) said...

Christine--He is hilarious. He's the husband of Sam's Mom, who I mention in my blog sometimes. Sam's Mom thought she was menopausal but it turned out to be Sam.

Website: http://cochran.vpweb.com/

Uh, Decatur Country Club is in Decatur on Country Club Road. You can't miss it. Golf course, and all.

Luckily, my friend has reached an age where he can't be suspended. I don't know where he'd be without Vista Print.

Problem Child said...

Thank dog it's over. My blood pressure has been through the roof.

You know, if we took the money spent on campaigns and spent it wisely, we wouldn't be in a recession :-) Oh, well, I guess the print shops, post office, and pollers appreciate the boost to their business!

wv: implish. I think I feel implish today!

Denise said...

I am so thrilled to be temporarily free of political ads, too!! I never can understand why politicians waste so much money insulting each other; it all seems so petty, and I always wonder why there are so few ads where the candidates talk about any of their own positive traits. I inevitably assume it's because they have so few, and the only thing they can do is make their opponent look worse than themselves. Sad and terrifying that these are the people in positions of power.