I have heard numerous people say they hate the US election campaigns, and that watching campaign coverage makes them angry, depressed, and disgusted. They decry the superficial media coverage, the lack of substantial issues, the mudslinging, the nitpicking, the lying... what have you.
Yet they continue to follow the campaigns.
When I say that I pay no attention to the US campaigns, folks are amazed - sometimes appalled, sometimes impressed, but always amazed. Supposedly this is a difficult state to achieve.
But it's not. It's been very easy.
So why do you continue doing something you hate?
Is it because you think the campaigns are important events, and it's your responsibility to follow them? I don't think the campaign itself is what's important. If you know how each candidate stands on any given issue, and his or her past voting record, the campaigns aren't going to tell you a whole lot more than that. Do you see it differently?
Is it because you want to know how the candidate stands with the public, what his or her chances are? Will that effect how you vote, or are you insatiably curious? And do you think you really learn that through the mainstream media?
Is it because you watch a lot of American television, so it's hard to avoid? You can make better choices with your time. Watch a movie. Read a book. Change the channel. If you get your news mainly through print or internet sources, it's even easier to avoid. You don't read every article anyway. Just put campaign coverage in the parts you filter.
If you enjoy political campaigns, that's a totally different story. Some people live for this stuff. That's cool. But if you hate it, why not just ignore it?
If you have an answer, please put it in comments, not email. Thanks!
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