Election drama

Though I am not inclined towards politics at all, I couldn’t help but watch the debates that go on for each race. With the senate elections round the corner, news papers and TV ads are doing as much as they can to fill our heads with ideas and opinions about each candidate.And Oh! the mudslinging-ads-it is a treat to watch them abuse each other. The ad agencies must be working over time to come up with such quick and witty retorts.
Coming back to debates...
though I have seen something similar in NDTV, debating has never been an essential feature in any Indian election campaign. Here, it is forms the core of a campaign. It atleast gives the people a chance to compare each candidate’s stance on major issues and choose a person sensibly. Did I say "sensibly" -I do not know really…
The candidate is first allowed to make his/her opening speech after which questions are answered on five to six hot issues of the time. I dont need to tell you what the major issues are this time- War...war...war...then of course,federal taxes, embryonic stem cell research , gay marriage blah blah blah...Then there is a rapid question round where each candidate can ask the other a quick question that needs to be answered in a maximum time of 45 sec…
Inbetween all this fun, I saw a full page ad on Star tribune called "Voter's guide Serious Catholics" where they have listed 5 non negotiable issues- Abortion, Euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research , human cloning and homosexual marriage...
Apparently, war is negotiable and so go on and support a candidate who supports war but never in your life vote for a supporter of human cloning.... :)