tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1131669960192626946.post7261869994952176384..comments2024-03-26T20:43:43.436-05:00Comments on Samantha Gentry's Blog: What's Going On With Political Campaigns?Samantha Gentryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02764092383245823784noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1131669960192626946.post-3132518422868253672010-07-28T16:15:48.030-05:002010-07-28T16:15:48.030-05:00Caroline: The two races here that are so vicious ...Caroline: The two races here that are so vicious are primaries with the election next week so it's members of the same party slinging mud at each other as fast and furious as they can. I would put my dog's name as a write-in candidate before voting for any of them, but since that's not the party where I'm registered, I can't vote in their primary anyway. :) In both of the primary races the adversaries are tied in the polls. Maybe they'll cancel each other out in both races and a third candidate will win the primary. <br /><br />Yep, I'll definitely be glad when the primary electrions are over!Samantha Gentryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02764092383245823784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1131669960192626946.post-30981140403772336742010-07-28T15:08:06.785-05:002010-07-28T15:08:06.785-05:00Samantha, I totally agree. Mud slinging turns me o...Samantha, I totally agree. Mud slinging turns me off and raises questions about the side throwing the mud. Our current governor's race is slinging a lot of my at the opponent. He's not slinging mud back so far, so you know who I'll vote for.<br /><br />If your brother decides to run for national office, let us know!Caroline Clemmonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14914658854159456335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1131669960192626946.post-81256719695352224612010-07-27T16:31:44.867-05:002010-07-27T16:31:44.867-05:00April: That's a good idea. Now if we could j...April: That's a good idea. Now if we could just figure out how to make that the criteria for political commercials so that everyone was required to stick with it.Samantha Gentryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02764092383245823784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1131669960192626946.post-60263435397900868522010-07-27T16:20:10.729-05:002010-07-27T16:20:10.729-05:00I'd like to see a "only commercial ads ab...I'd like to see a "only commercial ads about the candidate himself, and no mudslinging at other candidates" rule.<br />Let each politician tell us his/her own values/ideas. People can "see through" bulls**t and figure out who they want.<br />This will eliminate the "dirty politics" ads.<br />Marianne/AprilApril Ashhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08182262164498606490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1131669960192626946.post-57118254034340412392010-07-27T11:20:41.385-05:002010-07-27T11:20:41.385-05:00M.S.: That's what I occasionally tell my brot...M.S.: That's what I occasionally tell my brother, that I'll fight to the death for his right to his opinion...regardless of how wrong that opinion is. LOL<br /><br />Respect and tolerance are both very important in any endeavor, whether political or something less controversial.Samantha Gentryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02764092383245823784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1131669960192626946.post-75848641707200818352010-07-27T09:51:42.822-05:002010-07-27T09:51:42.822-05:00Samantha, you should be extremely proud of your br...Samantha, you should be extremely proud of your brother. I too come from a family that was divided along party lines but we were taught to respect the other person no matter how wrong-headed he was (jk)--what is lost today is just that: a belief that the person who disagrees with you just has a different point of view. Nowadays if you disagree you're a hate group or racist or just plain evil. You can't work together for the good of the country if you don't trust that your opponent has the same goal, merely a different idea of the correct path to that goal. People now seem to react emotionally rather than intellectually to debate--I find myself repeating "Sticks and stones..." way too often while watching the news about someone who is offended by say, the other guy's taste in ice cream.M. S. Spencer, Authorhttp://www.meredithellsworth.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1131669960192626946.post-101061087989375312010-07-26T10:23:59.090-05:002010-07-26T10:23:59.090-05:00Hi, Lelani. Yes, my brother and I get along very ...Hi, Lelani. Yes, my brother and I get along very well in spite of our political differences. Politics is one of those intangibles...mostly personal opinion on both sides where the facts get slanted one way or the other with a lot of theory and opinion extrapolated from those few facts. That's what makes it such a hot button topic. <br /><br />Thanks for stopping by.Samantha Gentryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02764092383245823784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1131669960192626946.post-77602125281435063822010-07-26T07:04:24.599-05:002010-07-26T07:04:24.599-05:00I'm so impressed that you and your brother val...I'm so impressed that you and your brother value being a family than allow politics to divide your relationship. So many values and goals become diluted in the pursuit of political seats, and political causes. In a long car ride last month with my husband, he had a political commentator on the radio who was literally making me want to roll down my window and leap out of a moving vehicle going 75 miles per hour. So instead, I told my husband if I have to listen to this, then I'm going to tell him (my husband) why I disagree with what this person is saying based on what I know growing up, and how things work from the other side! Amazingly, my husband listened to what I had to say, admitted he did not realize the view from that end of the spectrum, and while I didn't expect to change his mind about what he thinks is true, I was able to combat the "slant" being spouted off by a commentator who may have meant well, but did not have the boots on the ground facts. Politics seems to take on this type of combativeness, spending so much time, resources and money having to prove what is true, sadly.Lelani Blackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12101371664724173275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1131669960192626946.post-5892042774359031312010-07-25T10:25:34.519-05:002010-07-25T10:25:34.519-05:00Anonymous: I see you posted another comment at th...Anonymous: I see you posted another comment at the same time as I was responding to your first one. :)<br /><br />Thinking the voters don't care or thinking the voters are too stupid...those are both scary possibilities.Samantha Gentryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02764092383245823784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1131669960192626946.post-58707359881519200572010-07-25T09:46:33.548-05:002010-07-25T09:46:33.548-05:00Anonymous: Yes, the mud slinging has been going o...Anonymous: Yes, the mud slinging has been going on for quite a while, but it seems to be particularly vicious this year...at least where I live.<br /><br />As to elected officials getting pensions...I can't speak for all states and don't know for a fact about federal, but in my brother's state he has to serve ten years before he's eligible for any type of a state pension so one term certainly doesn't get him anything other than his paycheck for the portion of the year the legislature is in session.Samantha Gentryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02764092383245823784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1131669960192626946.post-57797760122628500372010-07-25T09:45:02.180-05:002010-07-25T09:45:02.180-05:00It seems to me that this mudslinging may be a symp...It seems to me that this mudslinging may be a symptom of a belief by the candidates that the voters have given up and no longer care about the issues. I sure hope that's it, because the other possibility is that they think the voters are too stupid.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1131669960192626946.post-59760224104910619782010-07-25T09:24:12.618-05:002010-07-25T09:24:12.618-05:00I get so tired of phone calls, too. As for "t...I get so tired of phone calls, too. As for "this year." The mud-slinging has been going on for a lot longer than that. If our representatives, national, state, and local, would stop campaigning constantly and do the job they were elected to do, we might not be in this pickle today. And I wish we would stop the mind-set of politicians who think they are "entitled" to a career at our expense rather than doing the job for a few years then going back into public life to make a living. <br /><br />And don'tcha wonder if a politician who holds an office for one term, runs for another office and wins, if he gets a pension from the first as he is paid for the second?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1131669960192626946.post-62963443989821438312010-07-25T09:21:58.803-05:002010-07-25T09:21:58.803-05:00Barbara: "I want facts so I can make a reaso...Barbara: "I want facts so I can make a reasonable decision." Yes...same here!! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.Samantha Gentryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02764092383245823784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1131669960192626946.post-78823277993790305732010-07-25T09:06:45.117-05:002010-07-25T09:06:45.117-05:00I agree about the name-calling, mud-slinging makin...I agree about the name-calling, mud-slinging making me angry. As soon as a candidate goes on attack, I put their name in the 'don't vote for' column. If they can't say what they stand for, then it can't be much. I also avoid making comments in most public forums. I don't want to argue. I want facts so I can make a reasonable decision.Barbara Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10379534828904059584noreply@blogger.com