The Real Value of Talking Points

During political "silly season" we are overwhelmed with each party's "talking points". Talking points are carefully crafted to form opinions, to reinforce party values or to intentionally obfuscate the rival candidates views, performance or capabilities.

Just the assertions - no data, please. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. Collective brainwashing.

For the most part I ignore them. I find them silly, innocuous. They're a distraction. They're designed for the LIV (low information voter) or for those who always vote along party lines, despite their candidate or their party's record of performance.

But they work.

I heard them coming out of a friend's mouth just yesterday.

The topic was Obama's statement that "knowing what you know now, would you vote for "the surge." To my friend, his answer was reprehensible. I wondered how, as a nation, the topic of whether a military tactic worked or not, had much to do with who should be the next president. Violence in Iraq is down. Violence in Afghanistan is up. The Iraqi government is no closer to reconciliation and self-government than they were 7 years ago.

Did "the surge" work?

I guess it did, because it has otherwise intelligent people talking about this tactic in a war that should never have been waged, during a time of economic and climate crisis, during a period of time where the government's best efforts can't even identify the source of a tainted food supply, let alone Osama Bin Laden. And let's not forget the large financial institutions that are collapsing or the $4 gas.

If I were a Republican, I'd throw all the bums out of office because they have completely forsaken my conservative values. And if I were on the other side, I'd throw Democrats out of office for letting our constitution get hijacked, for delegating war powers to the President and for not prosecuting high crimes and misdemeanors by the Oil companies, Financial institutions and the current administration.

So who's left?

Let me check my talking points......