2801 Now is the time

to be sure of your core beliefs and values. The elections are about two months off. Unfortunately, the research says that our brains are more impressed by the volatile emotion of the moment and negative ads than our intellect and reasoning. Both parties are going for the niche voter--knowing that may be the key.

In Ohio, for instance, the ads for Strickland (D) contain all the buzz words for a Republican--family, lower taxes, and jobs for the middle class. But he is a Democrat. Then the Republicans are rhyming an ad with Brown's name, like "Brown has let us down," using typical buzz words, higher taxes, hurt the elderly. So you can't rely on just the words--know your own core beliefs and what a candidate believes. We're getting 3 or 4 ads every half hour.

So take a few minutes to clarify what you really believe, and refine it for the local campaigns. Then when the political ads start swamping the airwaves and cyberspace, you won't be hood winked. Don't vote just for a party. Vote for the candidate who will work the hardest for your beliefs, but if a party best respresents you, support it. Don't let gasoline prices or the latest bomb threat in Baghdad decide your vote. Bush bashing or Hilary hating is not a rational plan for getting through the election ads. Yes, I know it's not a presidential year, but many important state and federal seats are open.

Update: Here's another buzz word/phrase to look out for: "Interestingly, Andrew Cuomo has a political ad on TV how he took on the NRA to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, but never mentions that his program was so ineffective and stupid that Congress passed a national law to prohibit it." Budd Schroeder at American Daughter