Political Pet Peeves
Posted on 15 September 2008 by Jenni Hammitt
I’m not a political blogger. It isn’t that I don’t care about politics, or that I am uninformed, there are just many other people who do it much better than I ever could. I usually steer clear of the topic in my blogs, and recently I have had to steer clear of it in my everyday conversation. I don’t care if you don’t agree with me. This is how I see the facts from my perspective. On the flip side of that, I may not agree with you, but as long as you have made an informed and educated choice, we can get along. Now what I am running into these days are people that are making their choices based off of ignorant statements and misinformation.
I have sat at my lunch table and heard co-workers voice their political views, and I have been sick to my stomach. Their comments have been so ignorant and clueless, it just made me sad. You know I might agree that said candidate isn’t a good choice, but I’m not going to agree with you or even give your argument credibility by discussing it with you. I just won’t go there. I’m not sure where some people get their information, or if they just blindly believe anything people on TV tell them, but it just makes my head hurt.
For example, back during the EARLY stages of the primary season, on woman came into lunch and announced that Hillary just needed drop out of the race because there was no way she would get enough delegates. She even claimed that Nancy Pelosi said this herself on the Today Show that morning. That just didn’t make sense to me. Yes, I was never much of a Hillary fan, but at this point in the game the Clinton Campaign was not dead yet. Mathematically, it was still possible for her to win enough delegates. I didn’t see the Today show that morning, but her comments just didn’t sit right with me.
I returned to my desk and looked on CNN.com. There I found an article quoting Pelosi as saying that despite what commentators were saying, Hillary should keep trying. Having her drop out now would be premature, and it would undermine the democratic process. Now of course, I don’t believe everything I read, but this conflicting reports just made me wonder. I’m not sure of what was said on the Today Show, or who said it, but my co-worker sure heard it one way and was banking on it as gospel.
Another issue I have is when people selectively remember the past. Even if I am against the war, just “forgetting” about Clinton and his “Peacekeeping Missions” is unacceptable. Yes it is like comparing apples and oranges, Our current war situation is much bigger, messier and complicated, but to say Clinton never sent us into a war zone is just ignorant. Yes, it was George H.W. Bush that sent troops to Somalia in December 1992. However, it was Clinton who put a number of our troops in UN command resulting in the Black Hawk Down fiasco. He sent troops that used combat and military actions against war lords in Somalia and later in Bosnia, Haiti and Kosovo.
I clearly remember Anderson Cooper covering these stories well before his CNN days on Channel One. Once again, our current war situation is a whole different animal, but despite the fact these were not “wars” they were still combat situations for our troops. I’m all fro thinking the best of your party, but just “overlooking” their past indiscretions and questionable choices isn’t a smart move.
If you are going to voice your opinions on politics, please, do yourself and all in earshot a favor: Know what you are talking about.
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