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FOR THE RECORD

Posted on October 14, 2010 by Staff

Let’s do this

Compared to a lot of places, we’re getting just a small taste of the bitter fruit of the Citizens United decision.

Elsewhere, some of the most vile, blatant lies and jingoistic language is pouring nonstop out of every media outlet available.

This should be no surprise, given that we’re passing through a truth-optional, up-is-down, heads-is-tails era. Anyone who thought the information explosion of the past couple of decades would somehow make politics smarter doesn’t understand one whit about the dynamics of American elections.

Glance through a cavalcade of ye olde political cartoons and you’ll see that the rough and tumble is hardwired into our system.

That’s why it is so annoying to hear all the tut-tutting by the supposedly wise old birds of Washington over the lack of bipartisanship. That term, friends, is an oxymoron and, these days, a total pipe dream.

We’re quite sure that there are black-tie events throughout this land in which the lion lays down with the lamb, but really now, this is a scrap, and as Ibsen put it, “You should never wear your best trousers when you go out to fight for freedom and truth.”

Still, we have it on good information that despite all the polls and prognostications and the overwhelming amount of money flowing into this race, election officials are going to go ahead and hold a vote.

Starting today (Thursday, Oct. 14) the polls are open for early voting. You can read where, when and how on page three of this newspaper.

And, at last check, there are still plans for a nationwide Election Day on Nov. 2. This in total disregard to the hundreds of millions spent on advertising by wealthy financiers, mysterious front groups and corporate titans aimed at making you hate and/or fear someone you might have voted for.

This year’s predominate strategy, if you haven’t noticed, is to make you not vote. Unfortunately, it’s not a tough sale.

If you want to make a prediction about the historic 2010 mid-term election, predict that most voters will sit this one out; predict that most voters are either too indifferent or too turned off to care or that they’re going to be easily swayed by smoke, mirrors and hyperbole.

Those are the safe bets. Everything else is anybody’s guess.

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