On Descent Into Mire

Pawn had a discussion last night, as the results from Pennsylvania were first coming in, with his good buddy K. K went into a rant about this year’s campaign, the essence of which was “A Pox On Both Their Houses!” but expressed in infinitely more colorful language. This morning the New York Times agreed with him. Here is an excerpt from their lead editorial today:

The Pennsylvania campaign, which produced yet another inconclusive result on Tuesday, was even meaner, more vacuous, more desperate, and more filled with pandering than the mean, vacuous, desperate, pander-filled contests that preceded it.
Voters are getting tired of it; it is demeaning the political process; and it does not work.

No matter what the high-priced political operatives (from both camps) may think, it is not a disadvantage that Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton share many of the same essential values and sensible policy prescriptions. It is their strength, and they are doing their best to make voters forget it. And if they think that only Democrats are paying attention to this spectacle, they’re wrong.
The Low Road To Victory – The New York Times

I shared this with my buddy K, and here is his more considered, less colorful, but no less damning response:

So I’m not the only one who is mortally ill at the sight of what should have been, our Shaka Zulu(s), our 300, our “He/She has risen!” rolling around in the fetid diarrhea of what passes for modern governance. Would they have had to walk through it like the faithful through the valley of the shadow of death? Yes! Point the Finger of Shame at ourselves! We have invited that level of non-discourse into our houses simply by not bothering to examine the bottom of our shoes along with those of our guests when we come home. And the bottom of our shoes is the level that most of the activity and personalities in Washington apparently aspire to. No one can possibly listen and watch those craven idiots on a daily basis and think otherwise. But I expected, wanted, desired, needed… prayed for…these two to be like fire walkers, to have their eye on the prize and to deliver us from our self-inflicted evil, they were to stride over and past the na-na-boo-boo of the 2 major political parties, to actually talk about issues, to run on their own strengths, to be leaders, goddamnit!.Instead the two of them have slipped on the masks and dived willy-nilly into the barrel of monkeys and are now working double shifts in the clown factory.

Woe unto us.

Well put K! Why am I thinking about Pogo right now…

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