The past two weeks leading up to the November election have been peppered with many themes, all of which have been exploited for their provocative qualities. Recently my family, as we are registered voters, have been called by four separate campaigns inquiring who we were planning to vote for and trying to ascertain why that was so. The first survey was from the Obama campaign during which an actual human being asked if he could count on our vote this year. We explained where we stood on issues at that point in time and they politely respected our ideas and then it was over as quickly as the conversation began. In the next survey an automated voice began robotically asking us to participate in the survey. I hung up, uninterested in speaking to a machine. About a week later another call came in from an Obama campaign worker - again an actual human being, asking if we would come out to help with the campaign that weekend. We assured her we would not be available to help out and were still undecided in this election. She was polite and thanked me for my time reminding me to watch the debate in a few days. Then we began getting local calls. This was automated, but this time I chose to hear the survey out, curious to know what they believed were the "issues" of this campaign. The following topics were covered in the questions:
1. For which candidate would we vote for U.S. Senate
2. The political party most affiliated with
3. Our opinion on President Obama's policies on economic development
4. Gender
5. Race
6. Age
And then, you guessed it...
7. Religion
The survey asked whether the respondent was protestant, evangelical, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, Mormon, or something else. The something else part was curious because that could encompass any number of things. Stopping to write down the questions being asked, it seemed the survey's design was terribly flawed. Here there is only one policy question. The rest of the questions of the survey seek to know more about the voter and then find out what would be suitable to hear in a campaign ad or speech. The survey was set up specifically to manipulate voters. It's right there in plain sight. In fact, the survey is asking questions that have so little to do with practice and so very much to do with tickling the ears that it's completely unclear which candidate is funding it. When did being counted in a survey become more important to the American public than knowing what the candidates stand for and what that translates to in practice in Washington? Since when is religious affiliation relevant to a campaign survey?
The Christian Right has become quite a group to contend with, mostly for Republicans, since the 80's. The surveys, pundits, mass mainstream media, and seriously over funded political campaigns have manipulated the thoughts and belief systems represented across our country. It seems campaign managers caught on that attaching a candidate to popular values in their party or state or nation can hook voters much easier than defining a candidates' actual purpose and practice. The idea is campaigns have deliciously put faith and religion on a platter to be eaten up by constituents while they bask in the glory of never having to actually stand on a real platform or give any specific details about policy. The debate is a prime example of this. The plans the Republican Party have laid out have been at best vague and unassuming. They have plans, obviously. They will most likely do exactly what is already being done, as it goes in Washington. They'll wipe away Wall Street's regulations, as this is what they do, but aside from that all will go exactly as it has. We'll only hear and know about what sways us. Media manipulation will continue.
But, the savvy American looks deeper. They see there have been no significant changes in Washington policy in decades, but shiny rhetoric and glossy bill signing distract us from what's really happening. The decline of freedom began long before complicated surveys began masking it's descent. Voters must wake up. Require the truth. We live in Babylon so religious affiliations have little to do with who is running this Nation. Find out where candidates stand on issues that affect our way of life and find out about your local leaders. State legislators, senators, and representatives have a greater bearing on what actually happens in your life than the guy in the White House and whether or not he has special religious underwear.
