Election year-itis

The election season is shifting into gear, and will soon be in full swing. States around the country will be having primaries and caucuses to determine who will face off in Novenber 2006. Let the rhetoric begin.

An example of campaign (or pre-campaign) rhetoric is the esteemed Senator from Pennsylvania (one whom I have had much respect for over these past few years; standing behind the President on a host of issues and aligning himself with the Party consensus on others with which he may have quietly disagreed).

Then comes this little tidbit from The Hill News. In this piece written by Mr. Santorum, he tells us what issues we Americans care most about. They are, in order, as follows:

1)Access to affordable healthcare
2) Education
3) Energy Independence
4) Growing the economy

Now, from where I sit, those are all fine priorities indeed. But they are not on my list, at least as the top 4, nor are they items people I know are talking most about.

Did I mention Mr. Santorum is running for re-election this year?


Yet here we are, talking about the same popular hit list we have seen regurgitated over and over during each of the most recent campaigns.

They still don't get it.

We are in a war, and not a word was mentioned about it. Nor was the deficit or Social Security, or any of the issues about terrorism, abortion, the death penalty, or any of a whole host of items that may lead to argument and philosophical debate.

One can wax prophetic on the issues Mr. Santorum discusses here, and do so with such eloquence and grace that one can feel real good after hearing it...and forget what really fires them up. One can go home after a big campaign rally and think "man, this guy has my vote" long before it sinks in that none of the things they get emotional about were ever mentioned. Ahh, politics at its finest; tell 'em what they want to hear before they ask about the stuff you have no answers for...