Are you as depressed as I am?
No, not about the DBacks’ up and mostly down season and not about the Cardinals’ inability to find a quarterback or a line to protect him.
No, I’m depressed about this year’s election, the most disturbing election in my memory.
I’m a political junkie, have been since I was a kid in 1964 and my parents plastered an AUH20 sticker on the back of our ’63 Rambler Classic station wagon.
But this year, I have to admit, I’m starting to tune it all out. And if a fan of politics like I am is, I worry about the new voters and the casual voters.
This should be an exciting election, given that we have two very different visions of government competing for president. We should have a robust debate about those visions.
We should, but instead we get innuendo, distortions and flat out lies.
Romney kills women and Obama is creating welfare queens are just two of the whoppers campaigns have assaulted us with.
Some would say that politics has always been this way, and there is some truth to that. But the assault today is constant, and from a variety of weapons, including for the first time, social media.
Locally, we are blessed with the Republican Congressional campaigns, which have devolved into “I’m more conservative than you are.”
Which is ludicrous, when you look at the two contests. Can you really separate Ben Quayle from David Schweikert? Paul Gosar from Ron Gould?
Please. All are four peas in the same pod, fiscal and social conservatives who would be reliable tea party congressmen.
But you wouldn’t know it from the bombardment of advertising.
And the various media echo chambers know their part in this. Fox and MSNBC do nothing more than preach to their respective choirs, mirror images of each other, slicing the world into the small reality they want to portray.
So it’s especially depressing this year to see this continuous assault on our intelligence. For me, that assault reached its nadir with an attack on a local politician by a radio personality, Jim Sharpe of KFYI.
No one listening to KFYI expects to hear anything approaching the truth.
After all, this is a station that has featured Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glen Beck and Michael Savage, all practitioners of the Half Truth.
But complete fiction?
Leave that to the locals, in this case, the station’s morning guy, Sharpe -- who recently ranted and raved for a full segment about Tucson state senator Linda Lopez.
Her crime?
An about-to-be-published magazine interview where she ripped into the military, including servicemen, at one point saying that the troops “can go bleep themselves.”
One problem.
It was all made up. No interview. Fictitious magazine.
In fact, the source was a so-called satirical website.
To his credit, Sharpe had Sen. Lopez on this morning and apologized profusely for his terrible mistake. Good for him.
But why did he make that mistake?
Because he wanted to believe it.
It conformed to his view of the world — or at least the view he wants his listeners to believe.
So when a Democrat goes off on the military, it fit with his narrative that Democrats are anti-military.
And instead of doing some research (which, by the way, would’ve taken less than a couple of minutes — I googled “Linda Lopez” and “military” and one of the first sites noted that the story was on a satirical website), Sharpe bought it.
His colossal blunder is indicative of what’s happened in our country: We’ll believe anything that conforms to our world view, contrary facts be damned.
“Don’t confuse me with the truth; I have my own reality.” That’s the American motto, circa 2012.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 1:18 am on Thu, Aug 30, 2012.
Excuse me, Mr. McClellan, excuse me.....have you watched our local PBS-ASU TV Channel 8, KAET's "Horizion" or worse yet, "Horizonte" programs. Do you ever listen to our PBS-NPR Radio Station, KJZZ and there Liberal if not outright Left-Wing show hosts comments.
Mr. McCellan, does your television receive CNN or MSNBC. I see Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Fareed Zakaria spinning anti-Conservative rhetoric everysingle day. They fall all over themselves to ask Obama ..."puff questions" like "how much does he love Michelle or his kids or his dog"...while nailing any, any Republican to the Cross.
As for MSNBC, Mr. McClellan, Chris Matthews just the other day was screaming at the past RNC Chairman. The "Ed Show" has the TV camera come in so close to see Ed's face while he screams invictives at Republicans that you can see the pores of his skin. Ed actually starts "spitting" he gets so mad and has to wipe his chin with the back of his hands when saliva starts overflowing from the corners of his mouth at the mere mention of Grover Norquist or the "Tea Party".
Mr. McClellan, you have the perfect right as an American Citizen to express your political opinions but trying to couch them in the guise of ......"political fairness and civil discourse" only on the side of the Democrats is a bit ....disingenous to say the least.
Let's place the blame a little more equally because both Democrats and Republicans are equally guilty.
wdgnas posted at 6:16 am on Thu, Aug 30, 2012.
wow leon, you're not screaming. while npr has a left leaning slant, they usually have an opposing view. that is why i favor some funding for npr. without that funding they would turn into el rushbo or hannity. try to have an opposing view on el rushbo or hannity. and you can't count hannity and combs.
chris matthews spits when he speaks in a normal conversation.
sockratties posted at 6:35 am on Thu, Aug 30, 2012.
california leon.... excellent job of making Mike's point.
Arizona Willie posted at 7:39 am on Thu, Aug 30, 2012.
All you have to do is observe the posts from the right wingers here.
People have posted facts that refute their " positions " but they ignore them and come right back and continue spewing the same " mis-information " ( to put it charitably ) from Rush, Hannity, et al.
Actual real facts are irrelevant to them.
Not that liberals are immune from the syndrome but it afflicts the right wing much worse.
mnjcpa posted at 8:19 am on Thu, Aug 30, 2012.
It could be something as simple as people are tired of the nonsense that is known as the Democrat party.
I tried to listen to a few minutes of Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews in their "reporting" of the the RNC the other night. Couldn't do it. These two snarky, make believe `journalists` should be off the air. They're nothing more than stenographers for Obama. Or let's illuminate that stalwart of authencity - Brian Ross of ABC, who takes snippets of information and calls it true. Please, Leon's right.
I suspect it's more an issue of the age we live and availability of information. But to suggest that somehow the right is less meticulous about detail is ridiculous.
chuckles3 posted at 8:28 am on Thu, Aug 30, 2012.
'Not that liberals are immune from the syndrome but it afflicts the right wing much worse.'
Um, yea. Everyone here is making Mike's point. Both sides distort and omit to support their side. For 40 years the Mainstream had a stranglehold on the distortion to the Left. People like Rush came along and started exposing this and providing their own views and were excoriated, demonized and tried to be forced off the air. Opposing views helped make a political shift in the 90s. Republicans blew it big time and we got Speaker Pelosi and Obama.
Some think the "Truth" lies to the left side of things, I think it lies to the right. The fight continues. See you in November. Inform yourself and vote.
mnjcpa posted at 10:09 am on Thu, Aug 30, 2012.
To dovetail off of chuckles comments I agree. Both sides are always trying to prove others wrong by their `facts` - as if one fact makes one person wrong or another right. But what this doesn’t communicate is the totality of how someone forms an opinion. It really is much simpler than that.
More than any other election I think there is a glaring difference in what American’s believe America should be. Obviously I don’t connect to the left’s message.
I have watched the freedoms and constitution that make America so attractive trampled on by the left. I see Obama as someone that doesn’t believe in what’s made America great. Criticizing and punishing well-earned success is appalling and a stark contrast with what I was taught that anything was possible if you worked hard and took risks.
Bigger and bigger government is the goal which makes America no different than Russia. I too feel privileged to help the helpless. But the last thing I would choose to do is help the clueless. Obama's done a fine job cutting American down to size of what he thinks our rightful place in world should be as well as the expansion of Islam and destruction of Israel.
I shudder to think what a second term will do to America.
Driver3725 posted at 10:17 am on Thu, Aug 30, 2012.
Apparently none of the responders have actually read the article. Duh!
chatmandu002 posted at 11:28 am on Thu, Aug 30, 2012.
Funny how Mike has tuned out politics but listens to one of the few conservative radio stations in the area. Try and find a liberal radio station that making money. There are none. Heck, almost all of liberal media isn't making money. True most of us hear what we want to hear. I do it sometimes and that's my bad. But I try most of the time to research and verify my position before I comment. I try not to believe anyone until I have done my research. If it sounds to good to be true then it probable isn't true.
One thing for sure is that nothing is perfect. Life is about hoping and working for perfection but accepting some imperfections along the way.
downtownresident posted at 12:07 pm on Thu, Aug 30, 2012.
The outright lies being spewed by Romney and his attack dog are just that. LIES!!
Obama isn't pure, but the lies Romney puts out remind me of our local former senator Pearce.
Since 99% of the electorate are not MIGS (Mormons in good standing) they must be Pagans, and any good Mormon knows it's OK to lie to Pagans, cause we don't count, and will never be Gods, with our own planets.
OK, rant over, the lies turn me off and Romney is a far larger threat to the USA than is OBAMA.
VofReason posted at 1:17 pm on Thu, Aug 30, 2012.
DTR always brings solid sensibility to these arguments- OK I am kidding. I am not Mormon, but I think I will throw my lot with them over Jeremiah Wright's gang. " that is why i favor some funding for npr. without that funding they would turn into el rushbo or hannity" says Wdgnas. Right, because if the government didn't prop them up, that would die on the vine like Air America. Does it make any difference to you that businesses only advertise places where people go? And not enough people went to Air America nor go to NPR to keep the lights on. I know Liberals are loath to question their thought process, but that should give you pause.
Cerulean posted at 5:10 pm on Thu, Aug 30, 2012.
I just grow ill when the pontificates blunder so – intentionally.
mrconservative posted at 10:38 pm on Thu, Aug 30, 2012.
Mike, maybe that interwiew thing was made up by Sharpe - I wouldn't know, I'm not a regular listener of Sharpe - but has it occurred to you that perhaps he believed it was true? At the time?
Nobody is perfect, Mike. Everybody makes mistakes. Yes, even your Crybaby-in-chief, Obama, has made mistakes, though he's too arrogant to name any other than "I should have communicated more".
Racdrops!
mrconservative posted at 10:40 pm on Thu, Aug 30, 2012.
Note about Obama and Romney and their view on dogs -
Romney - a dog names Seamus, I think, was on the top of their car. That dog survived.
Obama - while living in Indonesia, ate dog meat. Needless to say, that dog did not survive.
Which dog would you rather be, if given the choice?
mrconservative posted at 10:44 pm on Thu, Aug 30, 2012.
"interview", not interwiew". Stupid keyboard.
wdgnas posted at 7:00 am on Fri, Aug 31, 2012.
vofreason: i know you would rather have it your way. only one side to the story. your way or the hiway. either your with us or against us, heh heh...
Mike McClellan posted at 8:33 am on Fri, Aug 31, 2012.
Further proof of an aversion to proof:
Right wing pundits are now attacking the fact checkers for pointing out distortions, lies, and exaggerations, or as Rudy told a CNN correspondent, facts that "are not absolutely facts."
Here's the article about the attack on fact checkers --
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bitter-campaign-and-its-rhetoric-bring-fact-checkers-to-the-center-of-debate/2012/08/30/23a117b4-f2bc-11e1-a612-3cfc842a6d89_story.html?hpid=z2
Cerulean posted at 9:53 am on Fri, Aug 31, 2012.
You can always tell when Paul Ryan tells a lie -- he grunts. [smile]
That was a joke.
Engaged Voter posted at 11:57 am on Fri, Aug 31, 2012.
Poor mrconservative...evidently the word CONTEXT is not in his vocabulary.
He is comparing a food dish with a beloved household pet.
I do volunteer animal rescue, and I can tell you the last animal I fostered - a duck - would probably rather have been raised as food and eaten than put through the agonizing torture it had to endure.
Oh nevermind, I'm talking reality to someone who refuses to grasp it.
mrconservative posted at 10:17 pm on Fri, Aug 31, 2012.
"Food dish" and "pet" do not belong in the same sentence, unless you give the "pet" the "food dish".
Eating dog is despicable. And I can't vote for a guy that supports murdering infants.
(That's infanticide, in case you don't know.)
wdgnas posted at 7:30 am on Sat, Sep 1, 2012.
mrconservative: Eating dog is despicable. And I can't vote for a guy that supports murdering infants.
murdering infants. does that include murdering infants by dropping bombs on them? or are they just collateral damage. or because they are not future american citizens you care less about them?
mrconservative posted at 12:54 pm on Sat, Sep 1, 2012.
wdgnas,
I'm talking about abortion, dimwit. Obama doesn't support giving medical attention to babies that survive botched abortions. That's just EVIL.
As for the bomb, thing, no, I don't like that idea at all. It's never a good thing to kill infants under any circumstances, and if you're referring to WWII and the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombs, it was unfortunately necessary. I'd hate to do it too, but they would never have surrendered othrewise. I care about ALL infants, regardless of their nationality, gender or skin color.
And it wasn't just infants killed in those bombs, either. Many grown-ups died as well. Don't forget that in some cases, war is necessary. It's NEVER pretty, but on occasion, it is necessary . WWII is one example.
"If men were angels, no government would be necessary."
I think that's a Benjamin Franklin quote, but I'm not 100% certain.
wdgnas posted at 7:22 am on Sun, Sep 2, 2012.
mrconservative: thank you for the clarification. i have been called worse, by a whole lot better. but murdering infants by dropping bombs on them is still murder. no matter how you spin it.
Arizona Willie posted at 7:40 am on Sun, Sep 2, 2012.
wdgnas ... and it's also true that there is no such thing as a civilian in a war.
" Civilians " or, as some style them " non-combatants " contribute to a war effort by working in factories that make weapons and ammunition for your enemy.In the wars we have been fighting lately against religious extremists ( other than our home grown religious extremeists ) such as the Taliban and Al queda ( sp ) ... the enemy ARE civilians.
The enemy doesn't have a regular army.They go out and plant an IED and go home and watch tv and wait to hear the BOOM and then hold a celebration.Claims our cruise missles killed so many civilians are hogwash.
remo303 posted at 4:47 am on Mon, Sep 3, 2012.
I'll begin giving Mike an ounce of credibility after he views "Obama 2016."
wdgnas posted at 7:16 am on Mon, Sep 3, 2012.
arizona willie: wow you should be dizzy with that much spin. explain to the women and children in syria that are trying to flee the country, they are combatants. explain to the women and children that have fled iraq and afghanistan, they are combatants.
Mike McClellan posted at 9:52 am on Mon, Sep 3, 2012.
DeSouza, remo303, is just the far right's Michael Moore, a propagandist rather than a documentary filmmaker, a guy who weaves fact with fantasy and speculation.
De Souza's thesis is that Obama is an anti-colonialist in the shape of his father. Who, by the way, Obama met exactly once.
If speculation is fact, than "Obama 2016" is very factual.
mrconservative posted at 11:10 pm on Mon, Sep 3, 2012.
You're right Willie - it is murder. I'd never want to make that kind of decision. It'd be very hard.
But so is killing infants outside the womb, who are healthy and breathing on their own. It's no different than throwing them out in the trash can.
You CANNOT justify infanticide. That's the Number One reason why I can't support Obama. I'd sooner vote for Pepe Le Pew. He doesn't stink as much as Obama does.
mnjcpa posted at 10:13 am on Wed, Sep 5, 2012.
Mike you're so locked in to liberal ideology that you'll never see another point of view. If you understood how deeply Obama was in to Wall Street's pockets it would make your head spin. There's plenty of books to support that claim but you've got your head so far in the sand it's stuck.
Too bad for you.