Debates as sport

John Calvin the 16th century Protestant reformer definitely wasn't known as a humorist. He was, however, credited with saying one thing that brings at least a chuckle. When asked what God was doing before he created heaven and earth, Calvin replied that God was creating hell for the overly curious.

I'm close to not tuning in very much to television news programs these days, largely caused I think by the 'fatigue of predictability' which is emitted by the experts on such channels as MSNBC and CNN. The programs are on day and night, usually with a different host each hour, but it seems the same guest experts, one from the Left and one from the Right who repeat the same expected positions. Pat Buchanan, for example must work 20 plus hours, 7 days a week which may account for his raspy voice as he touts Sarah Palin as the certain one to defeat Hillary Clinton in 2012. He actually took this position on Morning Joe I'm not exactly stopping cold turkey but try to limit myself to an hour in the morning, Brian Williams in the evening. Tonight of course our household will watch the debate but I'll snap off the spin room following it. You know at the moment who the various spinmeisters will say will have won tonight's event. Chuck Todd on MSNBC will show his map and interpret polling results tomorrow morning as well as anyone, and there will be the NY Times and Washington Post online.

I don't think this election should be relegated to the level of the Texas/ Oklahoma game this weekend, it is far more important to the future of the country and perhaps the world than that. But exposing oneself to this constant bickering one-up-manship almost lowers it to that level. Deep down I really don't care who wins the game, but I do think this election is as important as any in my lifetime, both by who gets in, and equally by who is kept out. And if Sarah 'YouBethca' Palin is around as a national personage in 2012, God help us all.