Poll Results

Well, my thoroughly unscientific poll lived up to its name. In an overwhelming landslide, McCain took 75% of the votes, with a second place tie between Obama and 'None of the Above'.

I didn't plan it this way, but my poll closed just before last night's presidential debate - which I semi-watched with the sound off while I was on the computer. It seemed like every time I looked up, Obama was talking and he had his 'sincere face' on while McCain stood in the background wearing his 'bemused look'. Every time I see either of them, I watch their body language and they both appear to have put on their faces for the occasion. Just once I'd like to look up and see something real. *shrug*

Needless to say, these were not the results I was expecting, especially since the writing community seems to lean toward the Democrat side. (And just so you know, I was the one who voted 'None'.) They certainly don't reflect the national polls in any way, shape or form.

And I know about polls. You see, since I'm home most of the time, I get a lot of poll calls - and unless dinner is going to burn, I'm happy to answer them. Other than the actual vote, it's about the only way to get your voice heard, and I'll take the opportunity while I have it. But the odd thing about most polls is that the polling organization (or the pollster herself) has the answers they want in mind before you ever pick up the phone.

One night while my husband was working, I spent twenty minutes taking a poll. That was an interesting one, and by the end, both the pollster and I were laughing. She was a bright gal, and I was in rare form. Why were we laughing? Because every question she read to me was slanted so badly, I couldn't help but make comments about it. I wish I could remember some of them, but the memory fails this morning. They were pretty bad, and since she was doing her job, she had to ask them in the way that they were written. She knew they sucked, and so did I, so we had fun with the poll.

Then again, the other afternoon I answered two questions before the pollster hung up on me. I guess I wasn't answering the questions the way she wanted me to. The first question was something like who's opinion do I listen to most when making voting decisions, and then she proceeded to give me options. I told her I don't listen to people's opinions to make decisions. (I'm a fact kind of gal.) The next question was which organizations influence my voting decisions, and another list was read. I told her 'none of the above' - which I admit wasn't one of the offered options, but I really don't listen to unions or corporations or churches or anyone else. I might take others' thoughts into consideration, but each organization has it's own agenda for who they're backing, and more often than not, their agenda isn't mine. In the end, no one influences my vote to any real degree.

What I want, and what I think most people want, is a candidate who is genuine. No plastic interchangeable faces they can put on and take off to fit the situation. No shaking hands and kissing babies. I want a candidate who means what he says, and says what he means - without changing his stance to meet whatever the stance is of who he's talking to. I want some friggin' integrity in a politician*.

Is that really too much to ask?

*and yes, that does sound like an oxymoron, but politicians with integrity did exist once upon a time.