I watched as much of the debate last night as I could manage. Campaigns make me so mad. Nobody is interested in giving the whole story about anything. Attacks and promises alike are made without full explanation. The media is completely useless when it comes to filling in the gaps. I know this issue of convincing through partial truth is as old as the garden of Eden. But we're not getting any smarter about it. Most of the public won't investigate or even read the candidates' websites to see what they say about themselves and their own platforms. It seems to come down to who has the better catch phrases, the more convincing charisma, the most bumper stickers... the best spin. This is what I dislike about it so much.
What if instead of casting ballots for candidates we voted on the issues and ideas that make up their platforms? The ticket would read like tickets do for propositions. For example, there would be a succinct outline of financial package A, brief arguments pro and con, and the same for financial package B. This is what the voter would be required to choose from. At the end of the packet, for surely it would be a lengthy process, a computer would tally the information and determine which candidate gets the vote based on the beliefs of the voter, not on her emotional reaction to the campaign. Isn't this the kind of information we should be voting on anyway? It would remove any question of bias pertaining to partisanship, gender, race, or spin doctoring.
It will never happen in the future of politics. But these were the thoughts that filled my mind while I tried to pay attention last night.
Speaking of the future of politics, I've recently decided that Grace would make an excellent politician.
Argument A: She is very good at getting what she wants while carrying out the letter of the law. For example, often times when she is in the middle of a snack, Grace will develop the sudden need to go to the bathroom. I always have to remind her that she may not take her snacks to the potty. This statement is unalterably followed by a chain of Why?'s. Sometimes, she is still unconvinced even when I have satisfied her need to know every logical reason why she shouldn't take food to the potty, along with the reason for each reason. Then she breaks into tears and promises that she will be 'really careful' or that she is 'really hungry.' Just this week she skipped this stage of the negotiation and simply ran down the hall towards the bathroom, snacks in hand. When I got there, prepared to tell her that she was burnt toast, I found this:
The carpet is the hallway, and the tile is the bathroom. Gracie was sitting on her potty grinning triumphantly. "I didn't bring my snacks into the potty, Mommy!" She was right. She didn't break my rule. I left to stand in a corner and rub my temples. After a few minutes passed she called out to me in her sweetest sing-song voice "Mo---mmy! I'm done going po---tty! Please come wipe my bo---ttom! I'm being a good goyal (how Grace says 'girl')!" When I got there the fruit snacks bag was in it's place. But it was nearly empty.
Argument B: When there is a surplus, Grace puts it to immediate use. Even if that use isn't very useful.
Grace loves filling things. Purses, backpacks, random boxes, and containers around our house are all stuffed with random items. She has always done this. I can't leave empty laundry baskets in her reach. If I don't hide my purse, it is laden with surprises. If she finds an empty container, she will empty a different box to fill it. It is almost like a compulsory thing for her. No surplus is ever unused.
Argument C: Grace loves running in circles.
There are dozens of demo songs on our piano. Gracie's favorite is Chopin's Minute Waltz. She calls it The Running Song. Grace can turn on the piano and get it cued up all on her own. Once it is going she runs frantic and enthusiastic circles around the basement. An interesting and compelling fact about this argument for Gracie's political future: she is interested in running these circles only when she has an audience and/or some participants. At least, I have never caught her doing it in private.
Argument D: She is a little hard to resist and will confidently tell anyone what she wants to hear.
Example: the conversation I just had with Grace this very moment. I'm sitting on an exercise ball with my antiquated computer in my lap. Gracie has been monkeying up the ball and onto my back for at least 5 minutes now. I have been asking her to stop for at least 5 minutes now. In her stealthy climbing efforts she just kneed me quite forcefully in the back kidney area.
Me: Ouchie, Grace! Please stop that.
Grace: Sorry. Are you sad or happy?
Me: I've been asking you to stop doing that, and you just hurt Mommy's back. What do you think? Am I sad or happy?
Grace: smiling Happy.
Well, after that I was.
With many, many thanks to Grammie Marla for our fairy tale costumes! The kids got to show them off at our Church pumpkin carving party Wednesday night.
Tonight, we're going to party downtown with some friends from work. I might have to bundle Gracie up a little bit. That leotard ensemble probably won't stand up to the temperatures that are predicted for the evening. It should be lots of fun. Our friends live in a historic neighborhood of Victorian houses right off the main street. Most of the homeowners there take their decorating responsibilities quite seriously. Every Halloween, thousands of trick-or-treaters flock to its spooky streets. So we'll eat chili, spectate the parade of costumes, and take the kids around to get some yummies of their own. More tomorrow!
