The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

Op-Ed Piece

Here’s an op-ed piece I put together in about an hour. Any suggestions such as if it should be longer, grammatically correct or coherent are welcome.DemockracyBy Michael Gormly I suppose I should find it ironic that what has been purported to be the most important election in recent history is being driven by the most trivial issues. By now everyone has heard the Liberal “Fire and Brimstone” speech outlining the case for Bush-as-Satan-Incarnate with a laundry list of foaming-at-the-mouth accusations. The Iraq War, the disastrous economy, The Patriot Act’s assault on Civil Liberties, Cheney dropping the “F” Bomb etc. Its enough to send even the bravest of us scurrying to Wal-Mart to stock up for the impending rapture. There is no doubt that there is much to talk about this election. So what are the candidates slinging back and forth? Whether or not Kerry threw medals over a wall. There are a ton of issues out there with which to make the case of the importance of the upcoming election, so why the endless volleying of accusations about military service? Yes I am aware of the “Bush is trying to draw attention away from his being the Antichrist” argument. But this doesn’t change the fact that the Dems have thrown their share of mud. We’re well aware of Bush’s National Guard service records being trotted out for all to see and the unceasing parade of “People who saw Bush”, “People who didn’t see Bush”, “People who gave Private Bush preferential treatment”, “People who have seen firsthand Bush crawling out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns”. But here’s a thought “Why should we care?”. No I’m serious, why? What does Kerry winning however many medals have to do with his Healthcare policy? What does Bush getting preferential treatment have to do with his tax cuts? The truth of the matter is that half the people who are slinging these accusations back and forth all over the political landscape have little concept as to what their candidate and his opponent stand for. Kerry supporters decry the Patriot Act and Iraq, neglecting to point out that Kerry didn’t lift a finger to stop either. Conservatives attack Kerry for his economic policies, not seeming to notice that Bush has been one of the biggest spending Presidents in recent memory. And no one at all seems to have any idea where Nader stands. I’m close to offering a cash reward for any Republican or Democrat that can name Nader’s running mate. If this election is as important as it should be, then everyone should lose their Personality Cult mentality. Can we all collectively say “Lets forget about 1969 for once and talk about 2005-2009”? Its not like we don’t have anything to talk about. How about instead of candidates simply railing against what his opponent did, elaborate on what he would do? How about the 527s stop putting out negative ads about how John Kerry didn’t bleed or how Bush is a hypocrite and start saying what it is they agree with their candidate on. I for one would love to see why Moveon.org loves a guy that Opposes same-sex marriages or why The Swift Vets are so gung-ho on a guy that favors logging in Federal forests. A friend of mine likens Politics to a fight on Jerry Springer. Both people are horrible, buts more fun to just pick a side. This may be true, but at least it makes more sense to ally with someone whose policies you believe in, instead of allying just because you’re afraid of the other guy. We should stop caring about what a candidate did when they weren’t even holding an office and start caring about what they’re planning to do in the future. If this truly is the most important election of our lifetime, I think its about time we started treating it like it is.

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