Election Overdose

One more day until election day. One more day of commercials. I'm making a personal pledge to not answer my home phone tonight, turn on the television, or listen to commercial radio. I've had enough.

Years ago the runup to an election excited me. My first television memory is of watching the returns of the Jimmy Carter-Gerald Ford election of 1976. I was six years old. My dad was a high school government teacher at the time. I suspect (though I haven't asked) that he cast his vote for the Democrat Carter -- perhaps his last vote cast to a Democrat running for President.

In high school, we enjoyed receiving occasional visits from politicians. Our former US representative Tom Tauke came one year. So did his opponent. The most acclaimed visit was by then Vice President George Bush, who in 1988 was running for President. They cleared the school out searching for weapons, then lined us all up to enter the gymnasium, where we waited for Bush 41 to arrive.

Living in Iowa and holding the first-in-the-nation presidential caucus, we get to see every candidate even thinking about running for president. I've had my picture taken with Steve Forbes, shook hands with Alan Keyes, and stood 100 feet from President Bush 43.

This year, our Governor Tom Vilsack has his eye on the national political scene and has chosen not to stand for re-election. Representative Jim Nussle has thrown his hat into the ring to replace Vilsack, vacating his seat in Washington. So, though there is no presidential election this cycle, there are plenty of state and local races being contested. The newspaper reported yesterday that more than $15 million will be spent by the two candidates running for governor. The price tag for a US Representative seat is probably $5-7 million.

Politics has changed. Many of the men who served their states in Congress during the first years after our nation's birth did so begrudgingly. Reluctantly. Once their term was over, they couldn't wait to leave Washington D.C. and get back to their normal lives. Now, politicians are more likely to be lifelong professionals. Their "pre-office" days are in preparation for running. They build a reputation as a party supporter, give big money to support party candidates, and get to know the right party people. Once elected, it is for life (not necessarily in one government position). Remember a few election cycles back when term limits were all the rage -- candidates promising not to serve longer then "x" years? Nobody's running on that platform anymore. Those that did have not left office like they promised. And, how could they? Their party needs them to run, and run, and run again, so as not to risk giving away politcal power to the opposing party.

Negative campaigning. It's at an all-time high. It must work, or people wouldn't do it. Those of us who say we hate watching and listening to negative ads share the blame, because we reward negativity with our vote.

When I vote tomorrow, it will be out of a sense of duty and obligation, not because I am compelled by the vision of those running. I will vote for Jim Nussle and for Jim Leach, and others who are mostly Republican candidates. To be honest, I don't really know much of what they stand for. I don't really know the kind of men they are when the tv cameras are turned off. I don't know if they are men who will do what's best for me, my friends, and my country.

Frankly, I don't think we ever really know. And when it gets right down to it, maybe these men don't know themselves.