Why Politics Frustrates Me

I am so sick of political ads.

I find myself rolling my eyes whenever an ad comes on television, regardless of the party or the candidate. I am sick of the mudslinging, the gossip, the ugliness. I am sick of being told that if the other person wins, the sky will definitely be falling and will crush MY HOUSE first -- just wait and see.

Now don't get me wrong. I suspect that the sky may very well fall and crush us all if the wrong candidate is elected. But I feel a little like the person in the old logic puzzle: I'm standing in front of two doors, each with a guard in front of it. One door leads to freedom and prosperity, and the other to utter destruction. One guard always tells the truth and the other always lies, and I'm only allowed to ask one question.

The problem is that this is reality, not a logic puzzle, and the only people we see standing around the doors aren't omniscient, absolutely true/false guards, but half-truth spewing, finger-pointing semi-human politicians.

I was called and polled one night. The questions I was asked sounded to me so terribly skewed to one side that I was very frustrated. "Would you say that it is better to fix the health care system so that absolutely everyone is covered, or should health insurance companies be allowed to run things the way they want?" Really, are those the ONLY two choices?

Well, I guess I would just love to have the ads -- and the debates -- change to say, "Hi, I'm (fill in the blank) and this is what I stand for, and why." Don't turn away to tell me what your opponent has done/is doing/will do wrong. Don't tell me that his system won't work. Tell me why yours will.

Meanwhile, I guess I will turn to the only omniscient being I know. Thankfully, I already know He'll tell me the truth.