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Disoriented on Election Day
I remember an election day a long time ago. I think it was when Nixon defeated Hubert Humphry. I was in the Air Force and had already mailed my absentee ballot, as had most of my buddies.
So, a bunch of us decided to go deer hunting. I was unfamiliar with the area, but Gerry was in charge and instructed me to hunt down in the bottom and up the slope to the opposite ridgetop. Once there I would find a trail leading me back to the car. Great! I got to the bottom when the fog descended on me and I couldn’t see any land marks. I hiked up to what I thought was the correct ridge, but there was no trail to follow. I was totally disoriented.
(I like that term better than lost.) I had enough sense to know a road ran along the river, and the river would be downhill from anywhere. I came out of the woods near Old Town twelve hours later. I am as confused now as I was on that election day many years ago.
Every campaign soundbite I hear is negative. All the ads try to convince me to vote against their competition, and it doesn’t help my dilemma. A few years ago, my wife decided she needed a new Mercedes. We went to the dealer and the salesman did a wonderful job of pointing out all the bad points of owning a Mustang, or Corvette, or ... I stopped him in mid-sentence and told him that reasons not to buy a Mustang didn’t make it more likely that I would buy his Mercedes. I feel the same about the current election. All the reasons in the world to not vote for Trump doesn’t make me any more willing to support Harris. It is the same for all the candidates/issues. I am told why I should vote against both candidates for governor, and both who are running for congress, etc. But I have been presented with no reasons why I should vote FOR anyone.
I am also interested in the initiatives. I read the voting pamphlet and did some research on google, so I think I am as informed as most voters and I am almost ready to make a decision. However, when I consider the TV ads, I am not presented with any reasons to vote FOR any of them. All the ads encourage me to vote “No” and claim each and every initiative is “bad for Washington.” So, I am confused.
Are all the initiatives actually bad for Washington, or are special interest groups the only organizations with enough money to afford ads on TV?
I wish I could feel confident that our about to be newly elected government officials will be dedicated public servants. But, as long as I remain disoriented by the campaign rhetoric, all I can feel is confused.
FRANK WATSON IS RETIRED AIR FORCE COLONEL AND LONG-TIME RESIDENT OF EASTERN WASHINGTON. HE HAS BEEN A FREE-LANCE COLUMNIST FOR OVER 20N YEARS.
