Political Phrases That Drive Me Crazy

I grew up being very indifferent to politics, for the most part. However, since the mid-1990s, I have turned into a political junkie who watches CNN everyday and reads The Atlantic regularly, not to mention various blogs. Which might be part of the reason certain phrases uttered by John McCain and Barack Obama are driving me crazy. Rather than scream at the T.V., I thought I would "vent" my exasperation here.

John McCain:

1. "My Friends". If I read that phrase again, I might poke my eyes out. I think nearly every paragraph in his speeches starts out with "My Friends". If I were younger, I could get quite drunk playing a drinking game of having a shot every time McCain uttered these words. I don't know why he assumes that all readers or audience members are his "friends" - that is just plain silly. Unless....it is a part of a plan to brainwash Americans by repeating that phrase so often that come November, the nation rises up to pull the lever for somebody they now subconsciously view as their friend. Nah....I'm not quite a conspiracy theorist yet.

And, my conservative pals, don't even bother trying to push me over the edge by starting to insert that phrase into our conversations. I might poke out your eyes.

2. "Surge". This phrase has become the equivalent of Rudy Guillani inserting "9/11" into every single speech he gives. Indeed, if you combined a drinking game with "My, Friends" and "the Surge" it might push the intoxication to the point of alcohol poisoning.

Barack Obama

1. "Change". You can keep the slogan, but it is time to use different words in speeches. I don't know if it could be used as a drinking game because as soon as I hear the word, I tune out. I've heard it for over a year now....come up with something new.

2. "We are not a Red America or a Blue America, we are the United States of America". That was uplifting the first time I heard it....the second time, it was a reminder ....now, it is a tired, worn out phase that is on the cusp of becoming the Democrats equivalent of Rudy Guillani's inserting "9/11" into every speech or debate.

I'm sure that as the campaign drags on, there will be additional phrases or words that will rise to the level of poking my eye out. It is, unfortunately, the nature of today's campaigns that require policy decisions to be boiled down to sound bites.

Oh, Dan just suggested that I could save my eyes by not reading anything political and watching something other than CNN because at the end of the day, in his opinion, it doesn't matter who is the President. I told him I would do that as soon as he walks away from golf....we all have our hobbies.