Oh, And About The Election…….

Oh, And About The Election…….
By Ken DeLaat
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Ok, this week alone I’ve gotten intrusive phone calls asking who I support, been inundated with robo calls telling me how the nation will crumble should my vote fall in the wrong direction, received emails that border on poorly penned science fiction imploring me to donate money to save America, skimmed over social media threads that begin with  an attempt to out-clever each other then crumble into mindless moronic missives and...

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...been exposed (because I really like TV a lot) to commercials that are not just significantly slanderous but possess a level of authenticity equal to even the most blurred of Bigfoot photos.

(Short aside regarding those commercials: Love the accompanying images that depict the opponent in black and white with the most unflattering pose possible (mouth open and face scrunched) while the color video of the candidate paying for this smear depicts an impeccably groomed individual with an empathetic look that shows an elevated  level of caring, competency, and all around  goodness. This segue reminds me of The Wizard of Oz because of how it’s in B&W until Dorothy lands in Munchkinland. Oh, and just like the movie once you look behind the curtain…….)

But yes citizens, it’s crunch time. We now near the end of a maniacal marathon that has resembled a plod through Purgatory accompanied by a pack of decidedly demented, frighteningly frenzied ,and considerably crazed cretins while wearing a flea infested hair shirt.

Or maybe that’s just me.

Is there anything left to say? I think not. There is nothing that could possibly surprise anyone at this point and it remains doubtful there is anything that could occur to change people’s minds because the level of trust in any source of information is so skewed at this point.

Six months ago when N3 was launched we embraced a goal found in venues and events we have long admired. To enlighten, entertain, educate  and encourage dialogue. It was easy to be partial to the concept because it was hard to find a single objectionable objective in that lofty aspiration. Particularly the part about encouraging dialogue since lately it seems most folks one encounters are more interested in having an audience than a dialogue.

As we move forward in this adventure it remains our hope to continue to provide our readers with a reliable, accurate and unbiased news source and to promote a level of transparency that will encourage trust at all levels of our community.

With that in mind I strongly encourage you to read the exceptional piece on voter fraud written by Newaygo County Clerk Drew Robinson for our site. It is this kind of insightful , evidentiary and well presented appeal to common sense that we hope will encourage productive dialogue among the members of our community.

Because despite our political differences we remain first and foremost a community. This being  so, we can certainly use a little more discussion, a little less intolerance, a little more trust, maybe a little less reason to distrust, you know, all good things right?

But back to the upcoming doings on Tuesday..

Many things have been uttered about elections that are far more profound, witty, and well placed than I could hope to produce so here for your pre-polling pleasure is a collection of some of our favorite things ever said about elections.
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Every two years the American politics industry fills the airwaves with the most virulent, scurrilous, wall-to-wall character assassination of nearly every political practitioner in the country - and then declares itself puzzled that America has lost trust in its politicians. ~Charles Krauthammer

If we got one-tenth of what was promised to us in these speeches there wouldn't be any inducement to go to heaven. ~Will Rogers

Do you ever get the feeling that the only reason we have elections is to find out if the polls were right? ~Robert Orben

The only people truly bound by campaign promises are the voters who believe them.
~ Christopher Hitchens

...they say if you don't vote, you get the government you deserve, and if you do, you never get the results you expected. ~ E.A. Bucchianeri, Brushstrokes of a Gadfly

Why pay money to have your family tree traced; go into politics and your opponents will do it for you. ~Author Unknown

Democracy is being allowed to vote for the candidate you dislike least. ~Robert Byrne

There are always too many Democratic congressmen, too many Republican congressmen, and never enough U.S. congressmen. ~Author Unknown

Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be. ~Sydney J. Harris

A citizen of America will cross the ocean to fight for democracy, but won't cross the street to vote in a national election. ~Bill Vaughan

A politician should have three hats. One for throwing into the ring, one for talking through, and one for pulling rabbits out of if elected. ~Carl Sandburg

Politicians are like bad horsemen who are so preoccupied with staying in the saddle that they can’t bother about where they’re going.~ Joseph Alois Schumpeter

A politician thinks of the next election - a statesman of the next generation ~ James Freeman Clark

Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber ~ Plato

And of course….

Every election is determined by the people who show up.~ Larry J. Sabato, Pendulum Swing

Celebrate your right to vote Tuesday.

And, hey……Go Lions.

23 seconds? Really?