Political Bullfeathers

Years ago my husband taught our little 3 year old granddaughter to say "bullfeathers". Of course, what he really meant was "bullshit" but that wasn't something you taught a little girl.

I've been listening to all the rhetoric surrounding the upcoming U.S. elections and trying to find the tiny specks of honesty among the bullfeathers. It's interesting from a psychological point of view to analyse political speeches. They speak in a cadence which allows perfect timing for audience applause for one thing and they promise the same things that all politicians have promised from the beginning of time. Their audiences are like Pavlov's dogs and cheer wildly at all the planned pauses.

Something I've always wondered about...who the heck are the crowds of people who stand behind anyone at a microphone? Are they supposed to be mute symbols of supporters so that the audience can believe the speaker has followers? The crowd stands behind the speaker looking very stoic but silly because they don't seem to have much purpose in being there at all.

In this election, like all elections, the candidates promise to end wars, poverty, and bring the country to prosperity. They promise better health care and crime control. Their promises are always vague and almost never come to fruition. I can count on the fingers of one hand where the leaders of our country have actually done something worthwhile.

This particular election has been especially interesting because Barach Obama is a black man. I've admired him from the beginning but felt he was too new to the game to be elected president this time. I think I may have to admit I was wrong because he's doing a fantastic job of running his campaign, much better than John McCain. If Obama wins, this could be the most interesting 4 years the United States has ever experienced. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all pans out.

Obama may be fresh and new but he's still a politician and we all know they spout bullfeathers.