Election fatigue

 Image: Clipart Library

We are over it. Clichés are the only way to describe how we feel. We have Covid confusion and exasperation fatigue. It is now SARS-2 , apparently. The masks are off and people are just getting sick. Coupled with that , each day we face another lot of election stuff and nonsense, mostly brought to us by crabby media people. Today we returned to gaffe territory. Phone reliant press attendees fire off questions from their trusty phones and woe betide any politician who fails the daily speed and accuracy questions. Shame on any politician who might need to consult with someone who can provide an accurate answer. These media people would only need to stand in the shoes of a politician to know that a barrage of questions when you have been campaigning non stop for weeks, with or without  Covid, is daunting. Some politicians can keep smiling. Other don’t. Some don’t fall for the speed and accuracy , chook shed slapping approach and just continue to provide good information. It is not a competent way to get rounded answers from anyone and considering these people can’t even remember a question and need their phones to prompt them , then it is just very silly and petty. Media people are going to have to dig deeper, remind themselves of their real skills and forget this quick and dirty approach to interviews and questioning. Some journalists are doing a great job. They are relaxed. They showcase their skills and they give the person being interviewed an opportunity to delve into their knowledge and policies. Those journalists are allowing us to know candidates and parties. They even allow for some genuine humour and lighter moments. Questioning on fast forward is pointless. It just creates frustration for viewers/listeners and participants. 

Then there are the teal candidates. The colour of their brochures isn’t teal. It is turquoise and I am sure a Pantone colour chart would identify the colour accurately. The teal candidates are independents but some Liberals have also adopted this colour. It is a good colour but for a Liberal candidate, it is not their colour. Candidates are their character and history. Independents are independent and we have a strong field of them this election. Many of them are well credentialled, articulate, thoughtful people. The Liberals not flying under their blue colour means what? They don’t identify with their party? They love teal which actually not teal? They want to be thought of as independent? They haven’t explained it so we don’t know. 

Our early voting polling booths  will be open on Monday next week. Many can’t wait to vote because most people just want the election done and dusted. They know how they are going to vote. Since 1901 Australia federal elections have been by secret ballot. Always bothers me there are phone and online  polls and social media people who want to know how you vote. We should respect our silent vote. Meanwhile, it is back to the election trail and may the last couple of weeks be worthy of us. 

Half way through Election 2022

 

Image: Clipart Panda
Are we there yet? No. It is going on and on with very little of great consequence and a lot of people loving the sound of their own voice and image, though perhaps that isn't very fair to those who are doing a sterling job. Much of it is drowned out by mass media white noise. Classic was electorates holding meet the candidates evenings. LNP candidates in key seats were often missing. Mr. Frydenberg held his meeting in Kooyong at the pub while the other candidates were gathered elsewhere. Today he had big coverage in newspapers because his seat is  hotly contested by an independent, Dr. Monique Ryan.  We have had some film noir photos of Anthony Albanese, opposition leader , as he spoke with Grace Tame  for In Style magazine. We have great photographers i in Australia. They are being underutilised and unchallenged on our election trail , so the black and white photos of Mr. Albanese were a refreshing break and so good. Art and elections can co exist. WA's Senator Jordan-Steele put up a Tik Tok asking why we couldn't have a person with disabilities become the Minister for Disabilities? He would make a very good person for that position because he articulates his experience and case well. Bill Shorten has also done a stellar job of advocating for NDIS funding and improvements. He has a genuine interest in disability support. 

Mr. Albanese had to isolate for a week because he had contracted Covid. This is happening to various politicians and is part of the potholed campaign trail. Mr. Morrison strangely said he had worked much harder than Mr. Albanese when he was in isolation. Jaws dropped across the nation and the air was filled with speech bubbles with question marks. 

A lot has happened and nothing has happened. We have had cranky press conferences and cranky media people. Grumpy has thrived and lack of social graces from media pack has often been noted. Maybe because someone slapped the shed just before they were sent into the conference and off they have squawked?

We are wondering how we shall survive the next three weeks but we shall. We shall go to the source. We shall ignore favoured special pleading in the press and we shall be patient and tolerant with those who cannot filter their thoughts as most well mannered people can. The gems are there in this campaign. You have to go looking for them. 

Surviving until the election

 Image: ClipartPanda

There are currently a number of people I am aware of, who are just going to keep an eye on what is going on with regard to our federal election but basically tune out from main stream media and follow things up independently to get answers and information. Why? We are saturated with the empty headed approach which has been increasingly foisted upon us. The adversarial nonsense of him against him, her against him, her against her. Goodies and baddies. A person is never perfect, thank heavens. Neither is a politician. So many people who have no time for Boris Johnson were so impressed he went and supported President Zelenskyy in Kyiv recently and walked through the streets of that city with him. Who people are and what they choose to do is a sum total of all they say and do. In Australia, we vote for a party. We do not vote for the leader. It is very important for us to have a good picture of the people in the party and what they do and represent. Since 2013 the LNP have run the country and have created a place some of us find hard to recognise. We hear so much from them and about them and then do not have a complete view of other parties and candidates unless we go looking for that information ourselves or our local candidate, like my one, keeps us fully informed through print, email and social media . I know what my local federal representative stands for, what they have been doing and what they want to achieve. There are so many other candidates we do not hear about. This is our loss. On election night  for our recent South Australian election  I found out about some of the issues which other areas around our state had been dealing with and they were issues worth knowing and discussing. Our news is far too limited and often we are being fed an opinion . I do not see it as the job of main stream media to form my opinion . It is their job to inform my opinion. We don't need adversarial stuff and nonsense, nor do we want to be told what to think or how to view someone. Maybe if donors to parties were not so influential we would have a more level playing field. As naive as it may sound, I do not want big business making decisions about health, education, the arts and science. I don't want it to be just about the things which will make the most money. We can't have this pro and anti climate action or pro and anti vaccine or pro and anti masks when there is some pretty good evidence on hand to inform wise decisions. Those are the things we should be talking about not whether someone has a big stomach or not. There are also questions of ethics and morality and those issues are not being dealt with well partly because of legal action which may ensue and partly because of the goodies and baddies scenarios foisted upon us. We need facts and information . So many are going to look things up they want to know and try and create dialogue rather than  petty arguments. It is all so much bigger than this , though. We have a lot to sort out federally, we really do.