News flash - there’s an election next week.
Voting is important. Everyone who is eligible should do so. I think we should tie it to a reward system like coupons redeemable at the IRS. Get 10% off your next tax bill for turning in your vote.
What is NOT important is the coverage of the elections and media's damn predictions. Since when did the news get into fortune telling?
1 out of 10 think our news program sucks and polls show that group will double in size before the end of the program today.
Only the Poles should be allowed to poll and only when they give out paczki for taking the poll.
I believe the polling (who really knows how that’s done anyway) turns you off to actual voting. The prediction crap turns the elections into a sporting event that doesn’t even have a winner or final score.
But the two biggest turn offs to an election are TV campaign ads and political robo-calls. Boring would be much better than annoying in elections. Imagine a ban on political TV ads. We did a ban on TV cigarette ads. Why not political ads?
The candidates could still appear on TV but just in debates and interviews. Of course those activities would require real news professionals and who know if we have any of those around anymore.
The headline of the Chicago Tribune today:
“Secret cash pours in”
Who the hell has cash to pour into anything?
Many poor people out there don’t have the cash to pour a cup of coffee. Poor me, pour me another shot of whiskey.
The election reporting goes on to say that candidates for the House and Senate have raised a combined $1.6 billion and spent $1.4 billion. Even if the numbers are off and over estimated that’s a good chunk of change. Who knows where some of that cash might be spilled.
One more thing about this 2010 election - what’s with all the nut cases this year?
Did you hear about this new political party called the “Rent Is Too Damn High” party?
I found the following picture on their web site (honest here’s their link):
I’m thinking of starting a party (doesn’t need to be political) called:
“Political Ads Are Too Damn Annoying”
I've done a few political type youtube clips before. Here's one from awhile ago "Don't go breaking my TARP". Maybe I could start with my facebook group “Stop Music On-hold” and expand from there.
15 comments:
"Only the Poles should be allowed to poll and only when they give out paczki for taking the poll." now that's a tongue twister
Only if you are eating paczki while you are saying it.
I am so with you on this one! The campaigns in California have been horrible and hideously expensive. Everytime I see one of the hateful ads I think of all the ways the State could have used that money and made a positive difference.
We voted by mail already and I'm counting the days til this @#$%^& is over.
I like the 10% rebate on taxes for voting idea!
I'm with you, too. Those ads are soooo annoying!!! Can't wait til it's over.
I went and voted early today so my vote is in. Everything is more expensive in CA so I guess elections are too.
I was just watching some commentary on ads and this "pundit" told us that negative ads are more effective. Maybe we should stop and think about the side effects of all this negative campaigning. One big side effect is turning off voters and spreading even more mistrust in government.
It is a quandary that's for sure. Voting is important. But the campaign ads are such a turn off and lately they are really scary too, in some parts of the country I wouldn't want to venture to the voting poll with all the crazies and pushy people. We are getting to the place that we need full time security at the voting polls.
I don't think the crazies have reach the point of making voting dangerous. That would be awful if our elections were marred by violence like in Iraq. Maybe (I can hope) some of this craziness will prompt people into voting.
Ha!! I really like "Don't go breaking my TARP"!
thanks - Maybe I should make an updated one.
Political ads, and the avalanche of money spent on them, drive me nuts! I can't wait until it is all over.
I voted today. And then found out that a friend I'd voted for advertised holding beliefs that were pretty much the opposite of what I believed he held. So distressing.
that's not the type of surprise anyone likes. I'm still glad to hear you voted. With so many issues, many of which are complex I don't think you are likely to find a candidate that matches issues completely. The only perfect match is in the mirror. You can always find something wrong with anyone but this negative approach used by most tries to drown out any positive. In some of the races end up with who is the bigger jerk dirty bag. Great way to run the system - not.
I completely agree with you that the political ads have gotten way out of hand. I do have to respectfully disagree on the polling, though. I used to work at a Policy Research Institute and one of our big projects was predicting the elections for the state of Ohio. None of the research suggests that polling turns anyone away from voting. It's also a BFD to public opinion research shops because it's the only time where you actually get a definitive answer. If you say that Candidate X is going to win the election by Y% +/- Z, and that ends up actually being the case, then that provides evidence that your research methods are sound. It's important for cementing the validity and reliability of the research that they do the rest of the calendar year.
Thanks for the comment. Yes I guess we would disagree on this one. I think taking polls is fine just don't report them as fact. People don't understand probability, deviations, or statistics in general. The polls should be used for strategy and planning but not to influence voters.
Is there a poll on poll taking?
thanks
I am voting for that guy.
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