I should probably tell Kossaks up front: I am a very dark, very sarcastic, humor driven writer. Whenever I see something that strikes me as "Oh you have to be kidding" I share it with others from that angle. Hopefully, you'll take my writing as such from here in.
http://www.npr.org/...
http://media.npr.org/...
NPR has found what will sway my independent/undecided vote now: the candidate kids. It's true. I am one of those few and proud that haven't a clue who I'm voting for. And then, as I start to lean one way, I get swayed another.
The article NPR wrote about the candidates kids wasn't anything new, per se; the role of the family is/has been fairly important in persuading my kind of vote in tight elections like this since...forever? But what's interesting is how it's being used, I think. All of the sudden, the "kids," who, politically, "I grew up with" are now "adults" and, supposedly, "I can relate to them." They can "reach me" and "express to me" why it is their parent would "best function in the White House."
Quite frankly, I don't envy their postion. Quite frankly, I've never had thier position. Thank God.
But to be fair, if I've ever lived in their position, I'd probably do a really really bad job.
The fact is, when your a kid stumping for your parents, you're gonna have to swallow all the parts of Mom/Dad that grate your nerves and figure out what get to you at the core level. What makes the relationship work at the base level. This was the motivation I think, like, 6 months ago? That was when candidates spouses started to come out of the closet and bare dirty laundry to the universe. Mrs Obama, if memory serves, told the world that after working in the yard, he was one to collapse on the couch, smelling terrible; she was the one to screech for him to shower, otherwise the next morning he'd still be there, asleep on the couch, smelling like crap. My first thought was, well, when I worked in a horse barn, I smelled like manure too...it was a good thing I was the only one when I got home from work during the summer, because showering was not the first thing on my mind when I got home at 2 and 3 in the after noon in the NC summer. There was a pillow with my name on it and I was not gonna argue.
Then I showered.
It also strikes me that there's an enourmous amount of stress already between parent's and adult children: you're not children, per se, but you're not adults. Where most of the "kids" are is somewhere between college and parenthood, and some of these people are parents, married, whatever (I think one of Rominey's kids is 37?). So, for the parent's they're not just running for president, they're also running as parents. That's...well, tough. And of course you're with your siblings (assuming you have some) and you're in the limelight, and you're under the jurisdiction of the god knows how many staffers, who are telling you exactly how to behave.
Talk about alien invasion. It's a good thing I'm not involved here. I'd be like "Who are you again?"
So, yeah, whatever. I'm thinking, I guess, that it doesn't hurt to show the candidates as "family people." But it doesn't wash exactly with me, and maybe this is just me, to resurrect the "family values" nonsense. And somehow, by bringing in the spouses, the kids, the hobbies, getting the candidates to Dairy Queen, to Burger King, whatever, it's starting to smell like another "family values" campaign.
Hints to candidates for getting my vote, and speaking only for myself:
As a college student to graduate soon, it has come to light that Sallie Mae, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have intensive corruption problems from the top down. I want these institutions throughly investigated, documentation from every person, and retroactive loan restructruing for students of graduating classes for the past 20 years, when it is estimated that students who affiliated themselves initially with Sallie Mae went on to associate with Fannie Mae and then with Freddie Mac. Intrest rate reduction is only a start and it needs to be universal, reguardless of loan type.
As an individual recovering from various long term physical illnesses and living with long term mental illnesses, the pharmaceutical industry absolutely must be reigned in. Insist that if $1 cost up front per patient = $15 research funds that per fiscal quarter, research results be published. Do not accept abstracts, and insist on all scientists who are activly doing research to disclose all of their activities, including false starts and failures. Moreover, if the health insurance industry is going to co-operate with the pharmaceutical industry in research, reward patients who participate in preventitive care measures over long term by things such as gym and health club memberships, using registerd diaticians, regular, consistent physicals and doctors visits to prevent emergency care, and other forms of preventative medicine to avoid indigent crises such as drug addiction, homelessness, et cetera. This would include massage, PT, OT, chiropractic, acupuncture.
Insist that financial institutions, including banking, stocks, financial, and other monetary institutions give accurate appraisal of exactly what their investitures were 2 years before the sup prime mortgage meltdown and what their financial stature is now. Insist on .0001 notation for accuracy, and demand it for all customers internationally. Rather than having the Federal Treasury monater the situation, it is time to take the "bull by the horns" and work with the institutions themselves. It is clear that the institutions refused to listen to the treasury and now are panicking, thus expecting the Fed to save them from themselves. Stop allowing the fed to do so. This is one of the key reasons unemployment is rising and that the stock market is whirling in a panic. As soon as the Fed is held to account, the institutions will have to stand and deliver, as will the fed.
Demand a complete financial audit of each individual member of Congress and of the Judiciary. It is clear that the legislative is still reeling from Jack Abramoff, and that the people are looking for ways to rebuild their local government without holding their highest government accountable. This is unacceptable. Starting with yourself, Publicly audit all members of congress and thier respective lobbyists, their pork barrell additives per bill, and how much lobbyists contributed to their respective campaigns. This will empower voters to know where their true interests lie, and their true loyalties.
Lastly, to gain my vote, insist from your staff and yourself accountability via neutraility. All of the auditing and investigating needs to be done by anonymous 3rd parties, randomly, without announcement. By subjecting yourself to this treatment 1st, then your cabinet, then the members of congress, it may allow the people who actually have your job in their hands to feel less inclined to fire you at a moment's notice.
Now that you know how to win my vote, Mr/Mrs Future President, let your kids go to FL and have fun. You're the one with work to do.