I Try To Stay Out Of Politics . . .
I was an English and education double major with a philosophy minor once upon a time. “Close readings” and logical proofs were a way of life.
I now teach both to high school students. I yell and throw desks when talking about having a thesis (the point you will prove in your paper), and supporting that thesis with accurate, reseached, or at least convincing, details. As a result, I really only ask those around me to think, just a little, before they open their mouths, or put something on paper.
The ADHD in me laughs at the irony.
Thus, I actually try to avoid tv during election time. Ignoring the ad campaigns and all the stupid press. I can’t be bothered with bad argumentation. I have a stack of papers on my desk to grade, I don’t need more poorly worded bullshit in my life.
But I watched the debate between Biden and Palin a moment ago.
Part of me regrets it. Part of me . . . nope, still regrets it.
This will be a short rant, in the form of a list. A list of advice I would/do give to my students.
1. Answer the question asked. Yes, the public will be, often, swayed by pithy statements, and down home colloquialisms, but if you jump from sound bite to sound bite, and don’t answer the question asked, you look stupid once someone who was listening the question responds by actually answering it.
If you are lucky, they will have the good manners to not bluntly say, “well, since she didn’t answer the question, I’ll do it for both of us.”
2. Do your homework. If you are going to tell a story to make yourself look better, make sure that the person responding to your story doesn’t have a better one, esp. if you are comparing tales of hardship, esp. if you are female and he is male, esp. if moves between anger at your insinuation and tears himself.
3. If you screw up number two, you better not get emotionally moved by his story, and then have nothing more than another sound bite to babble along with, until you gain your composure and attempt to accomplish #1.
4. Know the documentation you are citing, which includes your job description, esp. if you’ve been asked the question before, esp. if you screwed it up the first time and tried to pass it off as a lame joke, esp. if the person who is speaking after you can quote the documentation that you don’t apparently know, still, and make your answer, which was rehearsed, look even more foolish.
This also includes things such as knowing that Congress is elected, not appointed by the president or vice president, but that blunder was about not listening to the question, and rolling with a nice sound bite, but, again, the person opposite you is being nice and not pointing out an obvious blunder like that.
5. When the bar is set really freaking low, just step over it, don’t try to jump. If you land on your face, you look even dumber.
Five is my favorite number, so I will stop there.
The media will say what they want (”she didn’t implode” has been my favorite so far), but seriously, wtf?!
God bless America.
I’m moving to Canada.
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3 Responses to “I Try To Stay Out Of Politics . . .”
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if they win we’ll go with you. Even the freakin’ canooks(this is how that was spelled in MN, but I think its wrong) have to be better than her. . . and him. Together they make a truly terrifying team.
Canada won’t help, my friends… America’s bad decisions, if continued over the next 4 to 8 years, will certainly affect you no mater where you are in the world. Markets all over the world are intricately tied to ours, if nothing else like more widespread Islamic extremism fueled by rising food prices doesn’t get you first. I’m pretty sure you’re going to have to move off the planet if Obama doesn’t get elected.
end doomsday prophecy.
And what did I say about the markets? Who’s right? Yes, it’s me, I’m right. So get your space ship ready, people, because of Obama doesn’t have a double digit lead he might actually be in danger of loosing.