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Tomorrow’s Election

I am Canadian. I love being Canadian, and I harbour no secret, unadmitted desire to be anything other than Canadian.

But I will freely and unashamedly admit that I am interested in and fascinated by the politics of the United States. And why not? I should think that after drifting through 30-some years uninvolved, uninformed, and apolitical, investing the next 15 or so into learning about the politics of a powerful nation whose actions have a profound effect on those who live outside their borders – and whose policies can (and do, in fact) influence the decisions made by some of MY country’s political leaders – would not go amiss.

So as you might imagine, today’s BlogHer prompt wasn’t a difficult one to address.

NaBloPoMo November 2012 Prompt
Monday, November 5, 2012:

What are your thoughts about tomorrow’s election in the United States?

My thoughts?

Mostly negative, I’m afraid.

I am mystified by those who claim to be undecided, even at this late stage.

On the other hand, I am angered by the rampant manipulation of truth, designed to obfuscate and confuse.

I am bewildered by those who choose not – or can’t be bothered – to get out and vote.

On the other hand, I despise the actions of those who would make it inordinately difficult, or in many cases impossible, for citizens to exercise this fundamental right.

I don’t understand those who vote along party lines whether or not it is in their own best interests.

I am puzzled by those who claim that both presidential candidates are basically the same, and urge others to spend their vote on a third-party candidate who has zero chance of being elected.

I am disgusted by the astronomical sums of money and resources spent on political ads and events… funding that could have been used in so many more productive and helpful ways to benefit the very electorate being wooed.

Most of all, I will be glad and relieved when it’s all over for another four years.

What are your thoughts?

Laurel Storey, CZT – Certified Zentangle Teacher. Writer, reader, tangler, iPhoneographer, cat herder, learner of French and Italian, crocheter, needle felter, on-and-off politics junkie, 80s music trivia freak, ongoing work in progress.