If I ran the presidential election...

At one point in my house cage fighting idea was also suggested but it would be hard to turn it into an intellectual discussion.  We thought it would also be really unfair. If we put Hillary C. and Sarah P. in a cage and asked them to duke it out, Sarah clearly would have the advantage - she's scrappy.  But, if you could work in an intellectual angle she'd be outmatched and you might have to give her a weapon to even things out.  It doesn't sound very dignified.

I'll chew you up!

I'm pretty

It's interesting to hear the from the smart people in my life their different perspectives on the national presidential convention speeches.  The majority of my west coast people are leaning left and were inspired by Mr. Clinton's speech last night.  My middle of the country people aren't moved at all and are expressing that they feel like the current president has been bad for our country.    I've heard sound bites from both conventions that set my hair on fire, but haven't been able to watch much of either show.

To me the conventions are a colossal waste of money - what is the point?  The skeptical side of me thinks that the DNC and the RNC leaders have made their decisions as to who would represent "their" party in private sessions and the convention is for show.  I'm sure it energizes the delegates who get to attend, but isn't that like throwing a Christmas party for your close friends and expecting the Muslim neighbors down the street to convert to Christianity?

I'm going to suggest a different solution.  I want to know what these candidates actually think and I don't think we will ever know as long as they are able to consult with their political advisers, and are 'on topic' with whatever the message of the day is today, (i.e. Romney is out of touch with regular (non-rich) Americans, Obama is bad for the economy.)  To keep the rhetoric down I propose that we lock both candidates into a separate small box for the period of one month.  They may eat and read classic literature (the same offerings to both dudes) but they may not tweet, facebook, teleconference, consult or communicate with anyone. On day 30, we will unlock the box, let them shave and then bring them to a stage with two sound proof booths where they will be asked the same questions and allowed to answer but without the benefit of hearing the other person's answer.

Another idea is a CBS Survivor style show that places the candidates on a deserted island and they have to duke it out for the right to be the next most hated person in our country - er, the President.  However, this plan needs some tweaking.  Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should the candidates be allowed to wear standard bathing suits.  They should be in the Lucy swimsuits.  They cover all manner of bumps and lumps and would prevent nip-slips or having to view the accidental crack exposure.  The weekly challenges could be working out how to pay for day care and car repairs for a family of 4 on minimum wage or explaining a standard insurance bill, or explaining so idiots like me could understand it how "futures" work. Frankly, I don't know why anyone would want to be POTUS.  As soon as you win, you are instantly to blame for everything and people lose their memories as to who initiated which policies that are under fire.  Is Obama the reason you don't have a job, or is it Bush, or Clinton, or Bush, or Reagan or Carter or Nixon, or Adams, or Jefferson...

Election season makes me crazy.  It is hard to get real information that isn't muddled by opinions and then there's the terrible fact that neither candidate is PERFECTLY Perfect nor are they EVIL.  It's not like we're choosing between Darth Vader and Jesus Christ.    Although... that would be a very interesting cage fight.

That isn't the real Jesus.