Jeff Stahler for March 06, 2024

Sometimes, they are the same.

Fox is a non-stop commercial for Republicans.

As is the rest of the right wing media structure.

I gave up television in 2008, and I don’t miss it.

That is going to be harder to do as it gets closer to election day.

I remember reading “The Glass Teat” back in 1970. Still relevant today.

If I could make one law about campaigns, it would be to ban all political advertising, regardless of medium. That includes internet.

A true smart tv would blank out commercials and political ads.

I figure I’ll be better watching streaming TV this election season, because on commerial TV there will be WALL-TO-WALL ads, all with the same ominous voices and music telling us we’re doomed unless we vote for so-and-so.

Latest Republican ad is about Bidenomics and the horrible economy. The DOW is hovering around 39,000, the S&P 500 is over 5,000 and the Nasdaq is around 15,000. Unemployment is 3.7% and retail, though lessened is still hot. How depressing. Could it be any worse!? /s Yes, food prices are high and if anyone could tell me how Biden is responsible for droughts, freezes and flooding of farm lands, I willing to hear it. Somehow he caused disease to strike the citrus crop too, very powerful man!!

I agree with both of them. For the first time in my history, I find the commercials more palatable than the political rhetoric that spews forth. Do not endorse the ‘ask/tell your doctor what he should do to save your life’ ads. Insulting to the profession to say the least. Should be banned. And that’s just one segment.

As to political comments, I don’t want to risk losing a friend or two because of my choices. The only person who knows my candidate is my lovely spouse of 63 years.

Found out what a good plan that was when a classmate of 70 years rabidly came out for his choice in one of our semi annual phone chats. I had just barely avoided mentioning my choice when he delivered a short rant in favor of the one I most detest.

This venue is the only place where I feel safe to express my political choices, but then only obliquely, as almost no one I know ever reads this site and wouldn’t know my avatar if they did.

Joi de DVR

All our Republican politicians endorse Trump’s Plan to close the border. They haven’t told us what this plan IS but they support it.

One of them blamed Biden for killing his brother. According to him, his brother died of an overdose of Fentanyl which, as we all know is ONLY manufactured in China and ONLY comes into the United State by people fleeing their homes in Latin America.

I wonder how much Trump charges to have his picture taken with a candidate. You don’t seriously believe he’d do it for FREE? If I came up with a half billion dollars, he’d even stand with me and we can both raise our thumbs.

I wrote the following editorial to my paper:

I am an independent voter who voted for Trump. Oh no, not for president! I wrote his name in for the U. S. House of Representatives. Whatever Republican gets this slot will vote exactly the way Trump tells him instead of representing my district. I’m just trying to eliminate the middleman.

Be a rare moment in time to get commercials that are not political

This is why I watch things on my computer

I deliberately watch Netflix or Apple TV during news broadcasts. Just waiting for November to vote for Brandon.

Ah for the day when elections are federally funded, and campaigning is limited to three months.

And the text messages. I used words in replies that will require them to have 30+ foreign language dictionaries, and several first nation translations. Maybe they will get the point!

“The swamp has claimed their queen.”

- Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt reacted to Nikki Haley winning the Washington DC Republican primary,

That’s the kind of childhood playground taunt that we’ve come to expect from these children . . .

And when I say “children” I really think: “SCUM” but I’m too much of a gentleman to say so.

I should think politicians and their campaign managers would realize the average citizen is tired of endless political campaigning by candidates. And constantly being begged for money by multiple politicians who aren’t from my district/state. I doubt it will become established procedure but I can always hope we cut the time and the money.

That’s what the mute button is for.

Politics is never over

If I had the money, I would create a web site: Ballot Box dot com.

You enter in your zip code and it brings up every race in which you can vote and every candidate running for those offices. For a small maintenance fee, a candidate gets one 1 MB PDF file to display. You cannot BUY a bigger presence and you cannot PAY for priority placement.

Everyone gets a shot for a couple thousand dollars or so; even a small campaign can afford that. Bigger campaigns can afford to change their file up to once a day for a fee.

Biden, Trump and Mr. Billings who is running for water commissioner will have the same “footprint.”

This is the only way I can think of to enact campaign finance reform.

I think voters would visit the site if they knew that they can get one-stop shopping.

CAN’T.WAIT.

Looking from outside I find the idea of midterms curious. You get elected to the House and 2 years later you have to do it again, meaning that rather than governing you seem to be in a perpetual loop of raising money for your re-election and then spending it on advertising. For those who say that advertising doesn’t matter I do believe that the side that spends the most, in general, has historically been successful.As for not campaigning until just before the election, I believe that it would be hard to enforce as well as give an easy out for a potential candidate to avoid difficult questions. “Mr Trump, (insert Haley, Buttigieg etc all apart from Biden who needs to answer the question) what would you do about the Israel/Gaza conflict?” “I cannot answer that as that would be classified as campaigning!” Also how would you decide primaries?