Monday, September 29, 2008

You Won't Get Any Debate From Me

I spent most of my weekend saying 'no.' No, I'm not going to watch the debates. No, I'm not watching the debates. No, I didn't watch the debates. No, I don't really care what happened in the debates.

I have very strong political views. Very. They wouldn't generally seem all that strong if you were to talk to me in person, probably, because Baroy's extremism way eclipses anything I could come up with, and I usually end up just walking away. Still, inside, I care a great deal.

Which is why I don't watch--or even get--the debates. Not for me, at least. When there are a few core things you care about deeply, it's pretty easy to choose a candidate--you choose the person who aligns most closely with your core values. In other words, I know who I'm voting for this year. In fact, there's never been a second's doubt about who I'm voting for this year, and even if there had been, the addition of a person into the race who doesn't believe in evolution would have taken care of that.

Debates are about persuasion, or that's what they're supposed to be. But there's no persuading me. I know what I need to know. The 'other side' doesn't speak for or to me. So why would I want to sit there and hear what they have to say about the ways in which they would hypothetically screw me if they were elected to office? As the last eight years have taught, there will be plenty of time for me to find out how they screw me in reality if they are indeed elected. And I'm almost-but-not-quite equally uninterested in hearing what 'my side' has to say; again, it's hypothetical. Get elected, and then show me what you can or can't do. Until then, I've heard all I need to hear to be comfortable casting my vote the way I will.

And so I stayed far, far from the TV on Friday, and I'll do so again and again until it's all over. Baroy will force-feed me tidbits of information about who said what about what was said until I want to--or do--scream at him to leave me alone. But I'm not going to watch. Because I know already. I know. I'm unpersuadable.

Are you?

4 comments:

Leila said...

I know. I'm unpersuadable.

Are you?


Yes. But unpersuadable in that I'm not voting this year. I'll vote downticket, but not on top.

I'd never vote for the other side, though.

Green said...

I totally feel you. I watch simply so when I watch the skits on SNL they will seem funny to me, but can't sit through the whole thing. Anything of "importance", like when McCain said horseshit, can be found on Youtube anyway.

Hilary said...

Me too. But you probably already knew that.

I enjoy it as political theatre though - I was much more interested in the post-debate analysis than the actual debate itself.

I may watch the VP debate which is going to be held in town this week - but Palin literally makes my skin crawl, so I might not be able to stay tuned in for very long.

po said...

I can't watch. I literally want to scream at the television. The BS that comes out of ALL candidates mouths makes me want to move to the moon, and I absolutely loathe the whole process by which this country chooses political leaders SOOOO much. Watching even candidates I *like* sound so very unlikable and hearing all the half-truths and spin is just so disheartening.

Ross had the debate on, because, well, it's his job to know what goes on, but I tried my best to read a book and ignore it. Because all my own internal screaming makes my head hurt.