DISPATCH 10-28-12 AUGUSTA MAINE
10-28-121407 hrs. On the bus in a parking lot. The weather outside is overcast and cool.
This particular leg of the tour has been going fast. All of a sudden, we are almost at the end. I have been going from one capital city to the next and it’s been great. The days pre-show have been busy shooting footage here and there and getting radio shows prepared so by the time I get onstage, I have been up and at it for a good part of the day.
I am glad that the presidential debates are over and soon we will be voting and getting on with things. Certainly, there will be some differences after the next election, no matter what happens of course but by and large, we will be where we have always been, getting the work done and getting on with our lives. This is what I am looking forward to.
These election cycles, to a degree have been taken away from the American people and have been perverted by a media that is profit motivated. The more attack ads that are made, the more money they make. The more fake outrage and vitriol, again, the more money is made. We are induced to think that these non issues are relevant. I am sure not all that many of us are impressed. It seems to me that the major media outlets are only performing for each other. We are seen as suckers who will take anything. I think we deserve better. Of course, no one is making you watch anything and thankfully, there are several outlets for getting information. Now and then, you can even get opinions from the candidates themselves. That seems to be one of the last places people go to get their opinions on the people they are going to vote for.
In interview situations, I often get asked what I think of the two men running for office. I don’t think it’s for me to weigh in on this stuff. I have a vote. I plan on using it. That’s all that I am responsible for and in control of. What you are going to do is 100% up to you. The last thing I would do is ask someone else who I should vote for. I get letters from young people asking me just that. I always tell them that I will in no way attempt to influence anyone’s vote. It’s one thing that is all yours and a lot of blood was spilled in this country to make it that way.
I would like to see the debates done much differently. All four candidates relied on small bits of memorized facts and figures. They trained at least in part to take advantage of the rules of engagement. When one is relegated to only a few minutes to speak, you’re only going to get to so much. I think the debates should be very long and very arduous. I think they should take hours and hours. Each candidate should be given at least an hour on each topic. The other candidate can take notes and wait his or her turn to dispute what was said. Then the other candidate will get an hour an the other will have time to dispute what was said. If the candidate strays from the topic, the moderator will step in and make the candidate stay on point. If the candidate runs out of things to say, the remaining time will be spent taking questions from people who oppose him. This will give us an opportunity to see what you have under the hood, so to speak. I think they all get off too easy. I think the debates have been turned into for profit television content. I want to see debates where “zingers” will no longer help you.
Tonight, I am speaking at a high school called Coney High, here in Augusta. I was walking through the hallways earlier today and saw a handwritten sign over one of the doorways that said, “Remain calm, vote Romney.” I don’t remember seeing anything like that posted anywhere when I was in school. Times have changed.
I am about 158 shows into this year with only a few more before it’s all over. I am starting to miss it already. I don’t feel tired or tired of being out there every night.
Thanks for making it to the shows and thanks for checking out all the stuff we’re posting on the Takepart site.
Yesterday, I interviewed a man named Bill who fought in WWII and specifically in the Battle of the Bulge. Fascinating guy, great interview. It will be up soon.
Thanks for reading this.
Henry
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