LIFE'S BETTER IN THE MOUNTAINS

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Glad It's Not Our Turn

Go, Florida.  It's your turn to hear the rhetoric and see the endless attack ads.  Now that the South Carolina Republican Primary is over, the money speaks in Florida for a while.  Unfortunately, none of us will get a break from the never-ending politics.  "News" networks have twenty-four hours to fill after all.

Most of the campaign speeches are regurgitations of previous orations.  There seems to be little that is new.  On the other hand, I have in fact learned a new word.  I heard it for the first time yesterday.  I'm not at all sure how often I might be able to use it, but I'm always happy to learn a new word.

The word is "prebuttal."  Prebuttal is a term used to describe an already-prepared response to an anticipated criticism.  Last evening the President of the United States gave the annual State of the Union Address to Congress and to the American people.  Prior to the speech, dozens of members of the opposing party gave prebuttals against what they thought the President might say.  Afterwards, many of the same people gave rebuttals.  So we had prebuttals before the speech and rebuttals following the speech.  (Would it have been a "buttal" if )someone made a response DURING the speech?"

The airwaves are flooded with misinformation and false accusations as they are in each election year.  They always seem to get worse every election but that might be a perception.  It becomes harder and harder to glean the "half-truths" contained in the advertisements.  (Actually, some of them don't have even half-truths.)  One individual has contributed (legally, thanks to the Supreme Court) five MILLION dollars to a candidate and is prepared to contribute another five MILLION dollars.  In spite of all the money, are these really the best candidates money can buy?

Enough ranting.  Let me just say that the political process has become very much like a sign we see on a trailhead in DuPont State Forest.  I will share it with you:


It pretty much sums up my feelings about politics in America today.  In truth, I am curious as to how the bin gets filled with horse manure.  And what happens to it afterwards?  Smart as they are, I don't think the horses can be trained to use a horse toilet.  I didn't see any shovels around to gather the manure.  And I know for a fact that people don't have to pick up horse manure on the trails.  While I must carry doggie poop bags, I have to walk around the much larger piles of horse manure on the multi-use trails.  (I still don't understand why I can't simply use a stick to get my the doggie poop off the trail.)

So the issue of the horse manure bin remains a mystery.  But I think I might be able to find the answer to that one.  I'll never find an answer as to how so many people can be so swayed by a television advertisement.  I want to shout to them to learn about the candidates, recognize the rhetoric, get informed, and stop letting the very rich buy our political process.

21 comments:

Dog_geek said...

So when Joe Wilson shouted out "You lie!" - that must have been a "buttal" eh?

The Bug said...

LOL at Dog Geek - that's right! Ha!

I so agree with you - and it just makes me very tired. Sigh.

Rudee said...

Oh, thank you for the new terminology. I was working hard last night and missed the variations on the prebuttals and rebuttals. I myself have butted out of political nonsense this year, though it's hard to bury my head in the sand.

Ms. A said...

Is the root word of prebuttal and rebuttal, butt? I think it is! One means before being a butt and the other means after being a butt.

Busy Bee Suz said...

Blah! I am so over it all....I hope we survive!

KGMom said...

Oh you are clever and too funny.
Love the horse manure receptacle--I vote we move it to Congress.
I too go nuts with all the half truths in ads and the numbers of people persuaded by them.
I feel saddened that we may be witnessing the demise of democracy.

My word verification--silispar.
Silly spar indeed.

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

Oh the season of politics....oy. I keep schooling my 'kids' to be informed. Read, understand, ask questions. Pity the general public gets spoon fed such drivel...and digests it!

Wayfarin' Stranger said...

Indulging my love of history, I've learned that the hot "issues" of today and the horse manure they collect around them have been the currency of political campaigns since the founding of the republic. Yes, the details have changed, but the points of view seem to be expressions of the politicians' genes. My only advice is to follow the advice so well stated by Janet, The Queen, above.

Arkansas Patti said...

After all this makes the rounds, then we have to listen to the actual presidential canidates go at each other after the convention. Do we really deserve this? I have been tuned out for months. I all ready know which box to check.

animal lover, quilt lover said...

Yes they're coming to Florida and I will do my best to not hear or see them!!! We get so sick of all the things they are going to do and it is all for not !!
Zoie was still real drunk when Tom brought her home but she is doing better now!! I hope she will not be too active the next couple of days!!
xx, Zoie & Fern

Taradharma said...

"learn about the candidates, recognize the rhetoric, get informed, and stop letting the very rich buy our political process. " In a nutshell, my friend, in a nutshell. Also, look at the rhetoric of past campaigns...it all comes around again. But we don't have a long enough memory span to recognize the same old BS campaign after campaign.

KB said...

Oh, the dog geek found an example of a buttal!!!!! I love it!

Your smooth transition to "horse manure" had me laughing out loud!

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Got to agree with you about all the political ads, which is anoth reason we don't subscribe to or watch TV. But we do listen to the radio and so can't totally avoid all the news accounts of politicians antics. Thank goodness for Sirius Internet radio whe we need a change. And, if you do find out how the horse manure is collected, pease update us curious folks.

Anonymous said...

How lucky we are to be in California and not on the campaign trail radar yet. No ads. Until we get big money out of politics, it's going to look like this and worse. It amazes me that these candidates are really the "best money can buy." A very sad testimony to our democracy and the competence of those who seek public office. When will we say "enough is enough?"

animal lover, quilt lover said...

I am so far getting my wish--- Zoie is being real still!! Thank God!!
The vet sent home pain pills but I haven't given her one yet. She is so quiet I don't feel the need to. YET.
I am going to try to keep her from tearing her stitches out when she is awake so I stay close to her as much as possibly.
xx, Zoie & Fern

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

I really enjoyed this post and we are both on the same page!! It's going to be a long time until November, isn't it? At least here in Virginia it won't be too bad because as you may know, Newt Gingrich who is from here didn't have enough signatures to get his name on the ballot...Isn't that crazy??

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Move on over sister so I can jump on that box with ya!!!

I detest what the political procedure has become. It seem ya win by smearin' the others names instead of winnin' on your own merits.

Yep, I pretty much agree...Horse Hockey!!!

God bless ya and have a magnificent day sweetie!!! :o)

Vicki Lane said...

Good one, Dog geek!

I agree, the system is horribly flawed. As someone recently commented on Facebook 'Another debate? Oh gawd, just strap me to the roof of a station wagon and drive away fast!'

animal lover, quilt lover said...

Money is in very short supply at our house so Zoie didn't get first class spaying and another night would have been more $$ that we don't have so~~~~~~ I wish things would get better at the shop!!!
xx, Zoie & Fern

NCmountainwoman said...

Thanks for your comments, everyone.

dog geek - So nice to hear from you and with a terrific and funny comment! Wish I'd have thought of it.

Mary Lee said...

Gee, I am behind on my reading! It would be awful if I had missed learning about prebuttals. It is quite easy to pick out the root word, isn't it.