The reality of elections - everyone moves down a notch.

[peacetalksforall]

I try to surf this period in the election process.

I don't know who I want or can get excited about (since the three that do excite me are on the sidelines for different reasons - Gore Kucinich Feingold). I know who I don't want.

I can't go overboard in watching or participating. My problem is civility.

I resent the package of what candidates are advised to do and choose to do - malign others.

When I watch C-Span I often have fits about the civility shown by Democrats - being polite in situations where they should show anger or shout out at the atrocities of Republicans since 1994 (not allowing time to read a bill, changing and adding paragraphs with bombshell locking in). I ask myself why they can't fight back against the dirty tricks of Republicans as well as they fight their opponent in this race?

Now, when they should be using their record of votes or accomplishments to convince us about them/themselves, they can't, because some of their votes on record were atrocious.

I resent all the air time they use knocking each other when their records are quite parallel.

At the same time, striking out at the others seems to work - they get air time and the feeding and devouring sessions are the focus of corporation tv.

In the end, there is a 50-50 chance that the winner selects one of them as VP.

I didn't think this would happen this time around when I considered the candidates. It did.

Anyway, I have my civility scorecard and some are doing much better than some others.

I also track who is supporting who to be reinforced in my leanings.

I also hold out hope that I can overcome the purity of my position that dismisses anyone who voted for the Iraq War, Patriot Act, and subsequent related votes.

[Lerkfish]

1. recc'd: I too am sick of negative campaigning, on everyone's part

and, as you say, they've been complacent and civil to the evil republican empire, but when their own skin is on the line, suddenly they have passion against each other.

why can't they have passion for US, their constituents?
That is their job, after all.