Wednesday, September 5, 2012


This is a deviation from my normal blog but it is something I felt I had to put out there.  Read at your own risk!


I don’t know about you, but I am really tired of being assaulted daily with political ads and propaganda.  It has become so aggressive, that I don’t even like visiting social media sites or watching the TV because I really don’t care who lied about whom about whatever or who is hiding what from the public.  It has no bearing on my life. 

I think the whole format of elections needs to change.  Because I really don’t care what their political agendas or views are, I just want a candidate that knows what it feels like to walk a mile in my shoes.  And, honey, after walking a mile in my shoes, they are going to need orthopedic surgery!!

We all know that the hottest shows on television right now are reality shows.  Bachelors picking wives, geeks  picking blondes, 5th graders picking on adults and judges picking on singers.  So why don’t we take all the presidential candidates, and yes, there is more than two of them, and put them on their own reality show?  That would definitely be one way to increase the voter turnout! 

The only time the candidates are allowed to make political speeches will be on the first show when each candidate is introduced.  And they will only be allowed to talk about their views on issues of America’s choosing.  And there will be no political backstabbing, that would be an automatic disqualification.

Each show would feature a different theme.

Show  1– each candidate is introduced with a host/hostess giving a brief bio.  The rest of the candidates would be in a sound proof booth backstage where they couldn’t see or hear the candidate that was being introduced.
The next step would be a speed round in which the host would read off a long list of political yes or no questions, such as “are you against abortion?  Yes or no.”  “ Are you against gun control?  Yes or no” etc. The candidate would have 1 minute to answer as many questions as possible.  The idea being that with the time limit, the candidate will be more apt to give an honest answer without thinking about his political advantages or disadvantages.
At the end of the speed round, the candidate would have 2 minutes to make a speech on his political viewpoints on pertinent topics that America wants to hear about.  At the end of this show, America would go online or vote by phone, and only the top 20 candidates will go on.

Show 2  – this show will feature the candidates going ‘undercover’ and living on the streets for a week.  No cell phones, no suits, no get out of jail free card.  Each candidate will be assigned a mentor who will show them how to dumpster dive, how a soup kitchen works, how camp and shelters work, the finer points panhandling, how to handle police intervention and in the case of northern climes, how to migrate south for the winter.  Each candidate will be allowed to pick 1 item to take with them but will be handed to their mentors wearing nothing but socks, shorts and a thin t-shirt.  Lose 2 candidates.

Show 3 – would feature the candidates getting to know the young people;  the gangs, violence and lack of education in schools, teenage pregnancy, drug use, suicide and bullying. Lose 2 candidates.

Show 4 – this show would be about low income households and what they have to do to take care of their families; the lack of funding for food banks & social services, no access to affordable health care, drug, alcohol and domestic abuse, losing jobs, homes and going into bankruptcy.  Lose 2 candidates.

Show 5 – The candidates would get to spend a week with a special needs family and see what they have to go through to get the care their special person needs.  The daily fights with insurance, negotiating with Social Security about pay raises, getting divorced just to have access to services, putting their child in foster care or institutionalizing them so they can get the services they deserve. Lose 2 candidates.

Show 6 – An up close and personal view of what its like to be an elder in our country where no one listens to you, being over medicated with medications you can't afford, having your rights taken away, being abused by family members and assisted living homes and having no retirement funds because your spouses care used them up. Lose 2 candidates.

Show 7 – 3 words – Marine Boot Camp!  Run by Honorary Gunny  R. Lee Ermey for the top 10.  Lose 2 candidates (at least).

Show 8 – Life on the front lines.  Lose 2 candidates (or more, depending on how the Middle Easterners vote!).

Show 9 – Life for veterans.  The candidates will be assigned various disabilities, if they don’t have any of their own by now, and see what our military has to go through after discharge.  Lose 2 candidates.

Show 10 – Mr Presidential America contest for the final 4 candidates.  This will involve a swimsuit competition, stupid ‘pres’ tricks, have to answer 1 question (like on Miss America), re-do and compare the show 1 speed round questions and see if any views have changed.  America votes for their favorite presidential candidate.

Show 11 – The bottom 2 candidates are introduced and leave. Mr Vice-President is announced (the runner up).   Mr.  President is then announced with a look back at his time throughout the competition.  He is given a very blinged out crown to remind him of the journey.

This is just me venting, but in all ‘reality’, wouldn’t a format similar to this give us a better idea of what the candidates really stand for?  They would get a chance to walk in our shoes, pay our taxes and we can see if they measure up to what we, as Americans, have to go through every day just to keep our families fed and taken care.  There is a huge disconnect between what I go through day to day as an unemployed parent of a special needs child and the life of a presidential candidate. 

If one of these so-called candidates took the time to get to know me and mine, maybe I would care more about who I vote for.  From my point of view, it doesn't really matter who sits in that fancy chair, I still can't pay my bills and I still can't afford to get my son the therapy he so desperately needs.  And that's not going to change any time soon from the looks of it.

With that being said, yes, I still plan on voting.  Who's up for a game of Eenie, Meanie, Minee, Moe?