In perfect world, we wouldn’t have to pay attention to politics and we could just get on living. I often quip that favorite president was Calvin Coolidge because his schtick was sitting out on porch of the white house in rocking chair reading the paper and never saying anything. He’s mostly noted for doing almost nothing in office, by intent, which I think a great achievement.

We must remind ourselves that the fate of the republic does not turn upon any particular election. We must fight broad long term political trends but hyperventilating about any particular election is really just a waster of energy.

I remember being totally unaware of all that “Clinton business” in the 90s. I am completely serious – I remember a German woman really getting into it with me at a dinner party, “why aren’t you paying more attention?” was her basic, and incredulous, point. I don’t know. The frenzy turned me off, plus, I was busy with this business of living.

Anyway, what I really mean is that I would totally ignore all things political until the time of the election, and then, listen to the debates and try and think things out for myself. My lack of knowledge was balanced out, a bit, by my calmness and equal willingness to listen to both ‘sides’. If you don’t pay attention, you don’t make partisan mistakes, I guess. Sometimes the political blogs (not this one) make you think everyone is bitter and angry, but, they’re not, so you can get fooled. People are busy living….

The people I really envy are like my father, who does pay attention to everything, attends all these political events (it’s easy because he lives in an early primary state) and then makes his decision based on what he thinks is good for the country. He is not partisan and is not angry and likes all the politicians he meets. He says in person they are very different and often sound much more knowledgeable. In the 2000 election he met George Bush in a small event in a park and said he was very nice and President Bush talked to my father for quite a bit. There were very few people at the event. My father liked talking to him. He also likes Obama, and, he things Sarah Palin has enough experience. See, the partisan blog wisdom just doesn’t compute for him, and, he’s a mathematician!

He votes D and R equally and his ‘picking presidents’ track record is *perfect*. I won’t tell you who he’s supporting this time around, I want to see if he gets it ‘right’ again :)

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I do that more often.. I’ll take week-long breaks. Break from the Apocalypse.

Sometimes a lot of stuff happens in a week, and its overwhelming to catch up.

For politics, I wish I would have opened a “Dick Morris is wrong” blog some time ago – it would have been a huge hit.

Yes, about once a year I take about a month long break from the news and politics. I feel a lot better for it.

I once claimed to a liberal I know that I think Americans, in general, do a pretty good job of picking presidents. Given the choices anyway. I am less sanguine about their ability to choose their representatives tho’.

Good point. I am just amazed at the degree of noise in the process. I guess it works out in the end, I just don’t think people should take pronouncements to seriously.