What's your pet political peeve? What turns you OFF in politics?--Al

-- Al Schroeder (al.schroeder@nashville.com), August 11, 2000

Answers

I hate it when politicians "ride the fence," especially when their voting record clearly indicates where their priorities lie.

-- Elan Kesilman (elan@elanworks.com), August 11, 2000.

Your turn of phrase expressing one of your thougts is quite apt and brings up my thoughts - in the next presidential race, will we go to vote for a Republocrat or a Demican ? It does tick me off that each tries to get closer to the line of division - and essentially saying the same things in enough different words thinking that they have fooled all of the people this time. The two admit to being party animals, but each claim that they are not the part wearing the tail. Yeaah, right !

-- Denver doug (ionoi@webtv.net), August 11, 2000.

I'm for campaign finance reform. All candidates should have equal opportunity. Elections should not be won based upon a candidate's personal fortune (or who his father is...).

I'm also turned off by negative campaign ads, etc. If the only way a candidate can win is by trashing the other guy/gal, don't run. Work the issues, not the hype.

I'm also turned off by vote selling - in other words, elected officials will vote a particular way in order to garner favor/support on future issues.

And I've very pissed about officials that tack on crummy little ammendments to very critical bills, in order to meet their own personal or pork-barrel agenda. It threatens the needs of America.

-- Planet Earth (imagine@industrial-ideas.com), August 11, 2000.

My political pet peeve is when candidates, in their efforts to pander to particular voting blocks, insult their intelligence in the process. For instance, and both Gore and Bush are guilty of this one, thinking that by speaking a few lines in Spanish, that I (being Hispanic) will rush to vote for them because he is obviously looking out for our best interests. sigh.

Bob http://www.geocities.com/and_if_I_die

-- Bob (and_if_I_die@hotmail.com), August 11, 2000.

I am definitely turned off by smear campaigns. That says to me that the candidate doesn't feel secure enough with his own platform.

I am also turned off by candidates burying their own big issues if they know that talking about them will hurt their overall campaign (i.e. Gore & the environment).

I am also turned off by most republicans. Except that Bruce Willis - he's a cutie. ;)

ally - toungue firmly planted in cheek.

-- ally (ally3223@aol.com), August 11, 2000.

Very definitely negative campaigning. I detest smear campaigns, and campaigns that stress how bad the opponent is rather than what the candidate plans to do if elected.

-- Bev Sykes (basykes@dcn.davis.ca.us), August 11, 2000.

Inconsistency is a pet peeve of mine in general. I think I'm in the minoity, because being irrational, or contradicting oneself seems to be acceptable in our society. Bush irrationality: "I am pro-life and believe all life is sacred. However, I will execute people on death row, even a man with an IQ of 63. It's all part of my compassionate conservatism." Gore irrationality: He's gone from claiming completely pro-life beliefs to defending partial birth abortion. That's quite a switch isn't it? Why don't he just be honest and say "I have no spine, I will support whatever cause gets me elected." Al's right: at least the radicals actually say what they mean.

-- AJ (joijoijoi@hotmail.com), August 13, 2000.

I rant and fume -- always remembering though that proposed radical solutions are very ofter worse than the existing problems. What say joijoijoi

-- Denver doug (ionoi@webtv.net), August 13, 2000.