Here we are again immersed in the circus we’re forced to endure every four years when presumably mature people go before the public and boldly pander, lie, slobber and prostrate themselves to prove who has the biggest ego.
There’s never any real winner except for the media.  The rest of us always end up with the evil of two lessers.  Meanwhile we’re subjected to a manufactured process designed for one purpose – to generate tens of millions in revenues for the media.  They’ve created a great money machine for themselves while adding nothing to the process of selecting someone to lead the country.  Think about it.  How many times over the last 12 months have you called a friend or initiated a conversation with someone at the supermarket simply to discuss one or more of these wannabes?  Why would you?  Unless you’re a political groupie who makes a living generating self-serving propaganda, the purpose of which is to separate people from their money to support of a candidate who doesn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of getting elected.  You see, whenever money is contributed to anyone of these supreme egoists it results in a nice paycheck for the army of political hacks who contribute mightily to polluting the planet. These ward heeling, low level groupies could be forgiven for their role in this farce - after all, what other “talent” do they have? 

What about the role of the media in all of this?  Are the pronouncements of the gang of wannabes so much more important than what’s happening elsewhere in the world?  You may have watched one or more of what they call “debates” among candidates of both parties.  It gives a whole new meaning to the concept of debates and doesn’t remotely resemble what debates are intended to be.  Instead you have questions from the “Youtube” crowd, including a talking snowman, the brainchild of two unemployed brothers in their twenties, still living off their parents. Just what the hell do these guys do in their spare time?
These “debates” are a farce and an insult to voters in both political parties.  We really don’t need this crap or planted questions from the candidates.  Where were the questions on the minds of most Americans?  For example, what are the candidates now thinking about Iraq?  Just a couple of months ago some of them had their Depends twisted in a major wad.  Today it’s a non-event?  How about Social Security?  Will it survive to produce the checks required to meet the tsunami or new retirees ahead?  Or will benefits have to be reduced, retirement age extended or social security taxes raised again?  So far the “debate“ promoters won’t even ask the question, while the “Youtube” crowd can’t spell it.
We’ve already had a year of this gang of wannabes in our faces even though a week of them would be more than enough.  By the way, it’s been reported that during the last 12 months Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton each has exceeded $100 million in “fundraising”.  Is anyone paying attention?  In fairness, President Bush collected $103 million in 2003 when he was unopposed for the nomination!  This is not a pretty picture because we still have 10 months to go before one of this cast of characters wins the election.  How much money will be raised and spent in their campaigns?  Who’s giving the money to them and why?  The system is not only perverted, it’s been prostituted by reducing itself to candidates who shamelessly prostrate themselves before the highest bidders comprised of a variety of special interest groups. 
Despite the obscene sums of money contributed we still have to deal with Hillary’s response to and support for giving drivers licenses to illegal immigrants in New York.  And we have to endure Mike Huckabee’s wearing his brand of Christianity on his sleeve - all the time – and asking if Mormons believe that “Jesus and Satan were brothers”.  Do we really want a professional liar or an ordained minister occupying the oval office?  If so, someone tell us why.
This brings us to the role of organized religion in politics which is supposed to be separated by some kind of “wall”.  Does organized religion get involved in politics?  You bet.  How can we resolve this issue once and for all?  Simple, just apply two rules.  First, any candidate running for political office who appears in any house of worship would be fined $100,000 which would be doubled for each repeat offense.  It won’t take long for the candidates to get the message.  But just to make sure the message registers, any house of worship that permits the appearance of a political candidate on its premises would lose its tax exemption for one year.  In addition, all houses of worship of the same religious denomination anywhere else in the country would lose their tax exempt status as well.  Think that would work?  Not only would it work, but we would no longer have to watch some so-called religious “leaders” degrading their churches for political purposes.  It’s the ultimate solution to keeping religion out of electioneering politics where it doesn’t belong and can never be justified.
Will that guarantee that we’ll elect an honest politician?  Hell no, but it will go a long way towards reducing hypocrisy in both religion and politics.
And that’s a Reality Check. 
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Contact Dan Calabria at www.realitychecktimes.com