The election is over, so can we all start to get along again?
For weeks or probably months − I’ve only become noticably weary of it in recent days − political attack advertisements on television have warned us of the dangers of voting for candidates for office opposing the person who is placing the ad.
So and so is a liar. Should that charge make us wonder what else he is lying about?
Such and such has a dangerous stance on an issue. Would her votes cause the destruction of our country?
Some other candidate is ignorant, inexperienced, untrustworthy, incapable of doing the job, controlled by his political party, or quite possibly possessed by the devil. Can we trust them to do a government job?
When I tried to search online search about one offensive ad that I had heard of, but hadn’t seen because it was placed in another state, my computer wouldn’t let me see it because it apparently was too disgusting.
“This content is not available due to your (computer’s) privacy preferences.”
How did everyone who runs for a political office suddenly become an enemy to the people?
Bridging the great divide
Actually, it’s not that someone is running for office that offends us. It’s that they disagree with us.
And, if they disagree with us they have to be wrong. The level to which they disagree with us, and the number of times advertisements remind us, increasingly causes us anger.
Still, I don’t know if attack ads cause us to have more anger or merely reflects that which this deeply divided country already possesses.
According to one media report, more than $6 billion was been spent on political ads this campaign.
I believe I’ve watched about a billion of them. More and more they made me wonder why a candidate would want to run for office. It also caused me question the motives and mindset of those on both sides of the ballot.
Would anyone rational want to get into politics if they knew they were going to be professionally and personally attacked? Are all candidates sitting at the extremes of the range of our collective thinking about the issues of our day?
Surely there are reasonable candidates willing to compromise and work together to get legislation passed that pleases both sides of the aisle and moves our nation forward instead of destroying democracy as we know it.
But, you couldn’t tell that from many of the political advertisements in recent weeks, ads that focused on challenging us to vote out of office or fend off people seeking office who are dangerous or somehow downright evil.
They made it seem like our nation is doomed − that we were one bad vote away from destroying democracy.
Finally it’s all over
With the extinction of our political system seemingly weighing in the balance, you wouldn’t have thought that I could wake up the morning after Election Day with such a feeling of security − even before I began reading about and listening to the race results.
Something I was hearing was more than mildly comforting.
Kitchen and bath remodeling advertisements. Furniture store ads. Opportunities for junk removal services. Chances for window relacement. Clothing store sales. Car sale deals. Carpet cleaning. New flooring choices. Phone plan options. Law firm promises. University offerings. Financial institution programs. Good God, I could get gutter replacement.
Even the hospital and drug advertisements dealing with potentially deadly or debilitating diseases were oddly reassuring. Somehow it’s better to learn about the latest in medical treatments or the compassionate care of medical professionals than it is to worry that the country will roll off it’s collective wheels should you mark your ballot for an inadvisable candidate.
My planet has returned to its proper orbit.
I must go now. I see an urgent and interesting ad on the TV about life insurance plans.
Reach Gary at gary.brown.rep@gmail.com. On Twitter: @gbrownREP