What are the Republicrats Afraid Of?
Democrats and Republicans do seem to agree on one thing these days; they don't want voters to have any alternatives to the empty suits they fill the ballots with. Case in point, the way both parties went out of their way to keep satirist Stephen Colbert from registering as a presidential candidate on each party's ballot in South Carolina.
The Comedy Central show host's presidential run was little more than a gag but party bosses took it seriously. They went out of their way to run Colbert out of the race and went after him with state election laws and the Federal Electoral Commission. Why are politicos so afraid of what amounts to a practical joke and not exactly an original one at that?
They are scared that voters are so disgusted with the kind of candidates the parties run these days they'll vote for any alternative even a joke. And why not many of the candidates including John McCain, Hillary and Barack Obama are little more than bad jokes themselves?
So what Colbert was doing intentionally or unintentionally was giving voters a non of the above choice on the ballot. For years libertarians and others have demanded that none of the above be placed on ballots. Professional politicians have long resisted the idea knowing that many of their candidates would loose to none of the above.
Colbert's joke run was attempting to give voters a real choice or rather a chance to say we don't like these candidates offer us somebody else. Our political hate that idea of choice so they have to quash it.
The whole Colbert affair shows something else about our political parties they have absolutely no sense of humor. Instead of laughing along with Colbert's little joke they attacked him. American politics it seems have been become a deadly serious business where there is no room for humor or imagination. Our politicians can't laugh at themselves and now launch search and destroy missions directed against those who dare mock them.
Our country and our national political life have become a much poorer place because our politicians just don't get the joke. Perhaps the real story is that the politicians themselves are the joke.
The Comedy Central show host's presidential run was little more than a gag but party bosses took it seriously. They went out of their way to run Colbert out of the race and went after him with state election laws and the Federal Electoral Commission. Why are politicos so afraid of what amounts to a practical joke and not exactly an original one at that?
They are scared that voters are so disgusted with the kind of candidates the parties run these days they'll vote for any alternative even a joke. And why not many of the candidates including John McCain, Hillary and Barack Obama are little more than bad jokes themselves?
So what Colbert was doing intentionally or unintentionally was giving voters a non of the above choice on the ballot. For years libertarians and others have demanded that none of the above be placed on ballots. Professional politicians have long resisted the idea knowing that many of their candidates would loose to none of the above.
Colbert's joke run was attempting to give voters a real choice or rather a chance to say we don't like these candidates offer us somebody else. Our political hate that idea of choice so they have to quash it.
The whole Colbert affair shows something else about our political parties they have absolutely no sense of humor. Instead of laughing along with Colbert's little joke they attacked him. American politics it seems have been become a deadly serious business where there is no room for humor or imagination. Our politicians can't laugh at themselves and now launch search and destroy missions directed against those who dare mock them.
Our country and our national political life have become a much poorer place because our politicians just don't get the joke. Perhaps the real story is that the politicians themselves are the joke.
posted by great one at 8:06 AM
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