Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller for October 25, 2022

When it comes to election campaigns, it doesn’t have to be true. It just has to be plausible to enough people to get elected.

“they can’t say it unless it’s true, right?”

What are you, five? Wake up and smell the coffee.

Ah, the empire votes. Democracy might work if it wasn’t for humans, hum, no need then for democracy if no humans, better stop typing now. Time for the med…

on a tangential note – i really do hope ppl stop looking for saints in politicians (good/evil nonsense). Politicians are supposed to be borderline crooks – all one can hope is that they deliver on what they say.

“On account of being a democracy and run by people, we are the only nation in the world to keep a government four years no matter what it does.” “I never met a man I did not like or a politician I would trust.” Will Rogers

Not confusing. I just listen to the side that presents undeniable facts. The ones that present unproven theories with zero evidence and refuse to present those theories in court under oath are fairly easy to pass by.

It’s sad how much you guys love to hate

It used to be that politicians at least tried to convince people that they’re telling the truth. Now we have an ex-president that doesn’t even bother trying.

Q : Oh, would any of them lie to you?? A : Only if they could get away with it …

Back in 2004, Andy Rooney commneted on undecided voters who couldn’t choose between Bush and Kerry. “If you can’t choose between these two guys in 30 seconds, you’re too stupid to vote. It’s a choice between going to Texas for a BBQ or Paris for an art tour. It’s that simple.”

Just vote Blue!

He does look like the model for Munch’s “The Scream.”

There is a big difference between undecided and independent.

I haven’t voted “party line” since the 1970s. This time, I have no choice.

If politicians told the unvarnished truth, no one would vote for them. Look at Regan vs Mondale as a good example. Mondale said he would raise taxes. Won one state!

if only

Decades ago a guy told me he was tired of the hassle and the political hype that submerged common sense during the run-up to the election. So, when he got his ballot to the voting booth, he just closed his eyes and pointed his marker at the page. Whatever name it landed on, that one got his vote. I truly hope that after the more recent madness, he at least made an effort to avoid Buttercup and QAnon and similar nuts and just picked the person he didn’t like the least.

on my morning drive in today the DJ was commenting how sick he is of the commercials. “Just 2 more weeks to go!”

A storyline with a Shinigami, two days in a row. Seems Mr. Miller is in a dark mood lately.

By now, if you’re either Undecided or planning on voting Republican, you’re an IDIOT!

you are having trouble deciding whether or not to believe jewish space lasers exist?

If you’re undecided after the last 5 years you’re an idiot.

Sometimes you have to beat the grass to find out where the snakes are.

There are undecided voters? Nahhhh… just another urban legend.

If only we could apply truth in advertising laws on election ads, we’d never hear about kids’ using litter boxes again.

It’s the economy, stupid, always has been.

How things went at my house when I was growing up: Dad would ask my mother how she was voting, Mother replied “by secret ballot.” I always knew who she was going to vote for, but her reply ended the conversation with him. For the best.

“Political advertising ought to be stopped. It’s the only really dishonest kind of advertising that’s left. It’s totally dishonest. If the manufacturer of a product made false claims in his advertisments as often as your average politician, he’d be in jail.” – David Ogilvy, Advertising Man

until we make lying a criminal offense, and enforce the law, things are not going to get better.

Campaign ads: the original misinformation

Years ago, when I was reading Heinlein’s “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress,” I figured out how to ‘listen’ to politicians. I don’t. At one point in that story [which is essentially a reenactment of the American Revolution], the Warden is giving a speech and one of the characters comments, “He sure talks purty, don’t he.” And I realized that when we listen to speeches, we aren’t listening to the content so much as to how it is delivered.

We have actors, salesmen, ministers, teachers, lawyers, etc. who are all in the business of persuading people to do things. Some (hopefully a lot) are doing it for our benefit and not just their own; but, it is hard to tell the difference, because people have learned the art of persuasion so well.

So I don’t listen to political speeches. I read them. That way I can focus on the content and not be distracted by how it well or poorly it is being said. And I can look things up, verify facts, track down insinuations, find out more about issues and possible solutions.

Sadly, today, a lot of political speeches don’t have much content. They are designed to arouse anger, fear, hatred. [Some] politicians don’t want voters to think about issues and solutions. They want voters to react spontaneously, emotionally, narrowly. It’s easier [and safer] for a politician/political party to get people pumped up on one issue than it is to get people to understand their positions on many different (and often conflicting) issues.

I just hit the mute button on either sides political adds (or FF if on a recording).

I used to trust the news guys to sort out the liars. Now it appears the news guys are the liars. What the heck are you supposed to do with that?

What is this “Citizens For Truth” garbage turning up ONLY on Fox channels,and in the middle of major sports shows?

And how can this “little group” afford to buy that kind of air time?

Hi.My name is Jim Corrigan,and I don’t like you.

You can believe what you want but voting based on repeated lies is simply not sane behavior.

Could all be wrong too. Then there’s the partial correctness. Life is hard.

I already voted, by mail last week. All that garbage is now behind me. BTW, here in California, we are not afraid of our people. We make it easy to vote.

If I’m not sure about a candidate, I go to the League of Women Voters web site and, for mid-terms, I go to my state. They pose a series of questions to each candidate and then publish their answers. I’ve found it to be very helpful when I was on the fence. A few years ago, I even voted for a Green Party candidate because I liked their platform better than either the Republican or Democrat. Also, don’t forget that judges and even members of the state school board wield a lot of power, so it’s important to know what they stand for, too.

Here are somethings that some Americans have forgotten and others indeed want you to forget. Your government should be working for all the people and not just for a very few groups and very select groups at that. Your government should not be shills for their cronies. Your government should not be trying to tear down the Constitution and democracy. Your government should not be comprised of grifters or racists or religious extremists or those who would subjugate others and take away the rights that all citizens should have. Your government should welcome new citizens and help the to be productive members of society so the nation can continue to grow. Your government should be made up of people who are morally upright and who would never abuse others. Your government should work for you and never demand it be the other way around. Your government should always be about growth and the betterment of all and never just for an elite. If it is not living up to those simple standards then vote the scoundrels out every single chance that you have. That is not only the right but the duty of every citizen in a democracy

Who wants a lying mud-slinger in office. That’s one of my measuring sticks for selecting who I vote for. I’d rather hear what they would change and why and how.

Why is it that we have truth in advertising laws, but they don’t apply to campaign ads? They can’t tell us their product does something it can’t, but they can make up provable lies about a candidate and not even get fined!

MAGA:: Consider, since 2016 has America become greater?

Funny, but is it effective!

people in bars nowdays just sit and look at their phones

If being Republican was so good and they had such great ideas, why is it they can’t seem to win without cheating ?

After one election I complained to a friend that the Party that just got in decided not to do what they had promised before the election. My friend looked at me somewhat askance and said “You didn’t BELIEVE them, did you??”

Mike? What happened to Flo?

Too bad no one ever thought to Prosecute Politicians under the False Advertising statutes.