Politics as usual

I hate politics. I understand it is a necessary part of our lives, I appreciate the work our politicians do to keep our country a free nation and our lives safe, I don't mind honest discussion about issues and where candidates stand, and I vote. But it's certainly not my topic of choice.

Today I read a political editorial in our small-town paper that just irritated me enough that I felt like doing something about it.

This particular editorialist gets a spot every week in our paper, and for the last few weeks, the only thing she has had to write about are her petty personal complaints. Having been on the staff of my college newspaper, I understand that an editorial is, by definition, opinion. And she is entitled to hers. But as the Democratic representative of the reading community, she ought to consider putting some real meat into those few inches of black and white each week, if she truly wants to sway her readers to her point of view. As of yet, she has not written a single word about why she is supporting her candidate.

Maybe you can guess that her columns have been about Sarah Palin. But none of them have had substance. The last few weeks' text included these comments: "Her voice grates me the wrong way," and "She is just too 'cutesy' right now." She also writes, "Just because she chose not to abort her youngest does not mean she is the greatest mother." The writer worries that Palin will not have time for her grandchild and writes about the "Republican hypocrisy" argument that she must not truly have good values if she has a pregnant teenage daughter. I believe it's due to articles and 'issues' such as these that I hate politics.

This week I decided to let the editor know how I felt about the editorialist's comments. This is my first true foray into the political arena, if you can call it that. I'm just tired of the Palin-bashing.

And now I'm done. Enough politics for me for now.