If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs…Around this time of year, our staff often ends up discussing Halloween costumes, especially those we wore as children. From what we've experienced in different workplaces, it's likely that your group of friends does the same thing.
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it...
-Rudyard Kipling
None of our staff members have ever really tried to make a super scary costume. When real life gives us stories like the NYPD cop who tried to kidnap, cook, and eat women, there's not a whole lot of point in trying to compete with that kind of fear factor.
We do know a few people who this year might be putting together at least two costumes because they can't decide which one to go with. Good or bad, these people also vote - and right now, most of them are running around like their heads have been cut off.
Frankly, we're stunned how anyone could truly be undecided at this point. We, and most other well-seasoned, well-educated, and well-informed political observers agree that the contrast between candidates and parties is pretty severe, all the way to most local races. If you've got an issue that's important to you, you've probably already made your decision.
Some folks seem to just want to be standing with whichever "side" is going to "win", so they claim they're undecided - and then stare deeply at the polls.
As we warned a few weeks ago, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a discussion about the polls these days. Two weeks ago, they claimed the race was over for President Obama. Ten days before that the same people said the race was over for Romney.
The truth is, if you're undecided, there's no point in being schizophrenic about the polls - something we also warned you about earlier this month. There's also no point in listening to all the spin from political talking heads.
No big name endorsement like former Secretary of State Colin Powell will make that much difference to you. Major newspaper endorsements like the Washington Post's likely won't sway you either.
So this weekend, turn off the TV during political ads. The radio too. Read the newspaper - but skip the ads. Those friends you have that send you political chain e-mails, or post political stuff on your Facebook wall? Tune 'em out, hide them, dump their messages in your junk mail folder.
For all the cartooning and discussion we do here at the Daily Felltoon that centers around politics, the ultimate decision comes down to what really matters most to you. And that isn't something you're going to find in a poll, a study, a chain e-mail, or a 30-second TV ad.
If you're truly undecided, and you really want help deciding this weekend, push all that "political stuff" away from you for 48 hours - and spend that time doing what means the most to you, with the people you care about the most.
Then, on Monday, keep your weekend in mind, and your head about you - and go vote.
Good luck - and have a great weekend.
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