Social media opinions, useless debates, uninformed celebrities among annoying aspects of political season
Well, it’s finally over. And once again, the spirit of American democracy has prevailed and we as citizens have elected a man to be our leader for the next four years. This campaign period will probably go down in the books as one of the most controversial and talked about since the infamous Gore/Bush recount of 2000, with both sides of the political mat hurling verbal mud mixed with jabbing insults and a few intelligent statements tossed into the mix.
Sure, many of us are already prepping for the 2016 vote, but there are certainly some things we’re not going to miss about the electoral process. Here are the top five things Americans can breathe easier about — at least for a little while.
1. Attack of social media
Whether you tweet, Facebook, Instagram or even roam the MySpace graveyard, chances are you’ve been intoxicated by the heady brew of political banter and the “my opinion is better than yours because you’re stupid” persona. The social media platform has become the proverbial megaphone for this year’s election, with almost every citizen of this great nation spouting his or her views on everything from President Barack Obama’s friendship with Beyonce and Jay-Z to Mitt Romney’s receding hair line.
Unfortunately, a great majority of us spend several hours a day scrolling through our news feeds, so unless you’re living an Amish lifestyle, there is no escaping the complex blend of ignorance and intellect. Let’s face it: Social media just makes it a whole lot easier for the uninformed to be heard, so let’s take a moment of thanks that we get to see a whole lot less “Mitt Romney/Barack Obama is the Antichrist” posts from that girl whose slumber party you attended in sixth grade.
2. Celebrities acting like they know everything
When Donald Trump offered Mr. President’s charity of choice some big bucks (to the tune of $5 million) if he would turn over his college transcripts and passport information, many Americans were left with their eyes wide and jaws hanging open. After all, how can a man whose hair looks like it was cut and pasted from a Ken doll have any room to ask for anything?
But this is all too common in the world of politics — if your name comes tagged with a star at the end, you’re automatically informed about foreign policy, domestic issues and the national deficit. Oh wait, no you’re not. True, a handful of celebs like Clint Eastwood and George Clooney make it a point to stay informed and aware, but seeing characters like Snooki casting the ballot for who’s the cutest candidate leaves us with many lingering questions.
3. People handing us stuff
If you’re like me, you probably have a really hard time turning down someone who is trying to hand you a coupon, flyer or, even worse, a political pamphlet. The last few weeks before the election seem to bring these people out of the woodwork, and many of them will literally chase you down, bullhorn in hand, to try and hand you a booklet that talks all about how Obama is a terrorist or Romney steals candy from little kids.
Here’s a news flash: These are all sitting at the bottom of our trash cans or stuffed into our pants pockets. There’s a lot more to understand about the world of politics than can fit on a sheet of paper, so please don’t waste our time with facts and figures that may not be true. Just leave us be and let us walk to Groucho’s in peace.
4. The debates
This year’s series of presidential and vice presidential debates were met with a cornucopia of mixed reviews; some thought they were good and some thought they were little more than two grown men trying to knock the other off the monkey bars. Debates are meant to give the candidates an opportunity to respond to questions about their policies and see how they differ from each other so we can develop an informed opinion about who best meets our needs. They are not meant to attack, demean and belittle the other person just because he disagrees with you.
But the candidates are only human, and since it’s our natural instinct to react under pressure, there usually ends up being more arguing than explaining. Some of us are just as, if not more, confused than we were before the debate. In the future, we can hope there will be less talking over each other and snide comments, no matter how funny they are.
5. And one thing we will miss...
“Binders full of women.” This comment has spurned countless memes, Halloween costumes and even a hilarious attack on the Avery binder sold on websites worldwide. This was a crown jewel in the Romney legacy, just maybe not for the best reasons. What exactly did he mean? We may never know — heck, Mitt himself probably doesn’t even know. And it was certainly not the first time a political candidate said something ignorant while on the campaign trail.
Often, this is the best part of the election process — hearing all of the inane things politicians say when they get peeved or don’t understand the question. Americans love to think they’re smarter than someone, especially when it’s someone we don’t like. And sometimes, whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, they just make it too easy for us.
So here’s a fond farewell to the 2012 political campaign trail. Cheers.