I don’t know about you, but I cannot wait for November 5th to come and go. I am sick to death of the increasingly hostile and violent rhetoric, the purposeful ‘interpretation’ of facts to make it seem actions taken by one’s political opponent appear to be the opposite and malicious rather than benign. The political ads have devolved down to the “ ‘He/She’s a poopyhead!’ ‘No! She/He’s a poopyhead!’ ” level of intellect.
In the presidential race it has fallen to the level where the Harris campaign has resurrected and expanded the “Trump is literally Hitler!!” meme, falling prey to Godwin’s Law. If Trump was “literally Hitler”, then why didn’t he do Hitler-like things during his Presidential term? It’s only now that it looks like Harris’s campaign in trouble that she goes that route. If her campaign is in trouble, then her hopes to turn the US into a Stalinesque state by doing away with the U.S. Constitution, starting with the First and Second Amendments, is also in trouble. (Yes, the previous is political rhetoric...but it doesn’t mean there’s not a bit of truth in there somewhere.)
A similar problem exists at lower level races. I know I see it at the Congressional level, Gubernatorial level, State Legislature – House and Senate – level, and County level. It is particularly hot in the Governor’s race with the campaigns going at each other “hammer and thong”, having devolved to the “ ‘She’s a poopyhead!’ ‘No! She’s a poopyhead!’ ” level. Surprisingly the race for New Hampshire’s two seats in the House of Representatives in Washington has been pretty benign. It’s pretty much the same for the State Legislature and County races.
While neither US Senate seat is up for election during this cycle, both of New Hampshire’s present US Senators, Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen, are former governors of our state. The GOP gubernatorial candidate, Kelly Ayotte, is a former US Senator and former New Hampshire Attorney General. There’s a certain symmetry to this.
Thank goodness November 5th is less than two weeks away.
As for me, I will be working at the polls in our town that day. We are expecting a better than 80% voter turnout. We’ve seen an approximately 85% voter turnout over the past two Presidential elections, and with this election being as contentious as it has been, I wouldn’t be surprised if see closer to 90% turning out to vote.
