Politicking Through an Ugly Election Season: 10 Annoyances

The 2016 election season has been ugly so far, and it will probably only get worse in the coming months… My biggest pet peeve could be boiled down to essentially this: people are not serious enough about local elections, and we take national elections way too seriously. However, there are all kinds of behaviors and attitudes making politics a drag. Here is a list of ten things that make me want to punch a wall. 

1. Laziness. The confused, disenfranchised, undecided - every election cycle. They don't know who to vote for. They don't know what anyone stands for.  The lazy voter says they can’t find a good candidate, but they are too inert to make any progress! 

2. Bubble Mentality. A political opinion without the support of a meaningful coalition or legacy is irrelevant. This gets lost on the bubble mentality, which persists with ineffectual self-importance. Anyone with the bubble mental has no party affiliation and can't stand politicians, but holds sage-like wisdom from the sofa. Designation: Couch Grouch. 

3. Shaming Non-voters. Some say your opinion doesn't count if you don't vote. Wrong. You are vested if you pay taxes, if you volunteer, if you are a good father, mother, sister, brother, member of the community, etc. You should vote if you can - it's a good habit. But, shaming someone for not voting is disingenuous. 

4. "Politicians are all crooked." Yes, no, maybe so. Is it any different than other lines of work? Get over it. Get involved. Get out and vote accordingly. 

5. The Loudmouth. One who is always looking for an opportunity to tell you what they think. Or, somebody who thinks his or her opinion is important (news flash: your opinion is not that important). The loud mouth is exponentially worse if tied to other annoyances on this list. 

6. Identity Politics. Identity politics are a refuge for the incurious. Opinions are subjective, and not well served in an echo chamber of groupthink. 

7. Pathological Ambition: As seen in the politician who runs for public office despite having no clear base of support. They are not civil servants; they want the power of a prestigious office. They often finance their own campaigns (because they have no real base to support them financially). Their positions change to fit the moment. They are resilient to scandal. A candidate with this affliction typically can't be bothered with running for a more local office, using their money to launch themselves straight into state-wide or national campaigns. 

8. The Intellectual Vacuum. In other words, those who insist that society is heading in one direction or another with little to no context to support such belief. Commonly seen in wacky political parties on the fringe. 

9. The So-called Tyranny of Political Correctness. The notion that one can be oppressed by political correctness is bunk. Ironically, this attitude usually stems from a perspective of anti-tolerance. I don't want to stereotype, but most people tend to be okay with political correctness if it jives with their own beliefs. 

10. The Egoist Ideal. This is a hyper vigilant opinion that never factors into winning elections. Even so, the egoist ideal will be up in arms when a nationally elected official doesn't show enough reverence to their point of view. 

Don’t let these assholes win…

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