Happy Halloween! Scary! And election day is right around the corner, almost the same day. That’s scary too.
The number of robocalls and text messages and tv commercials increase dramatically. Tv ads extoll the virtues and intelligence of one candidate over the lethargic, stupid, almost sub-human depravity of the other, as if people were stupid and believed everything they see on tv. They don’t. They believe whatever they want to believe that they see on tv. Also scary.
TV ads made for politicians are very similar to pharmaceutical commercials made for the drug companies - they all exist within a specific genre, no variation. I mean the content of the commercials is different but the style is exactly the same.
This is why, I believe, people don’t trust politicians. Not really, I mean they vote for them but they know they’re going to get screwed. Their interests are going to be sold off to the highest bidder and their taxes used to build bombs to kill people that they don’t even know.
I don’t know maybe some people like bombs, can’t think of a better purpose for our national treasure. Others' might disagree. That’s the point, you really have no say. Not even would you rather bomb this country or would you rather bomb that country? No, they bomb whoever they please. They have their own reasons.
Halloween, however, is traditionally the time when the veil between this world and the next is thin and permeable. People can pass through. Like your long dead ancestors. You can talk to them and have a picnic on the grass next to their gravestone. That’s what they do in San Antonio. Maybe the European medieval halloween was different. Flying witches and dancing skeletons and blood sucking vampires and mad clowns. Anything to scare you.
But aren’t the politicians wearing costumes too and pretending too? Donald Trump has a blue suit and red tie with a small American flag pinned on the label. Kamala Harris wears the prerequisite business suit for women: skirt, jacket and blouse, maybe a gold necklace. Of course the small flag too, so we know which side she’s on.
Whether they’re pretending or not I’ll let you decide but they are definitely begging . . . for candy. Your vote is their candy.
I don’t know. Do you see any connection between celebrating Halloween and election politics? The veil is growing thin for me.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m going to vote. I love voting. I love the long line in Lion’s Park of people voting, coming out and doing something, being communal, all participating in the same exercise. You can talk to people. Not about politics though, you’re supposed to be neutral, atleast within 100 feet of the door.
Someone might be sipping their latte, standing next to their husband and having a great time. Someone else might have their MAGA kit open in the car trunk, proudly displaying its wares to all who pass by. It’s more than a hundred feet from the door, I guess. Didn’t measure it.
People will be coming down from Halloween by that point, they’ll be ready for another party. Hey, why is it they call them ‘parties’ by the way? Because they’re supposed to be fun? Right answer!
Thank you to Glass Beams for the music. My new favorite band of all time!
00:00 Horizon 00:54 Mahal 04:39 Orb
Halloween and election politics