How many times have I clicked on a newspaper today? Who, I wondered idly, will be our next president? This year the election is like Jeopardy, that most boring of game shows: the answer will either be, Who is Joe Biden? or Who is Donald Trump? We know this, because Biden and Trump were the only names we recognized on the presidential ballot, though several other people, it turned out, were also running.
Anyway, we waited edgily on Tuesday night for the final presidential tally. Then Wednesday night. Then Thursday. Still counting…still counting…still counting…
It is all about story, isn’t it? And I am tired of this story. In this particular country at this particular time in history, it is a comedy. Lord, it isn’t a comedy to most people: it is the most important election in American history! I keep reading that. But it’s always the same. One popular guy campaigns against another popular guy, and the two you least expect become the candidates. At least the election is your steady date in November and gets you out of the house. Only this time, we voted by mail.
I tried to distract myself today by reading innocuous articles. All of them are downers. If there is a down side, they will find it. How do you like this headline? “Even if Biden wins, the world will pay the price for the Democrats’ failures.” And the following unpolitical article is even more upsetting: “Denmark to kill 15 million minks after coronavirus mutation spreads to humans.” Your best bet is, “Why are the media reporting different US election results?” Boring but not depressing.
Anyway, I’ve decided to keep a diary about how I feel every time I go online to check the news. Shitty, is the answer today. I borrowed this idea from the fascinating experimental novel, Eleanor or The Rejection of the Progress of Love, by Anna Moschovakis. Eleanor decides to keep a record of her thoughts about being on the internet.
Perhaps this diary will keep me away from the news for a few weeks. Surely someone will tell me if they make a decision!
Meanwhile, have a great day while we wait to know who the next president will be!
Oddly enough, this is the first thing I’m reading after seeing Biden edge into the lead in both PA and GA. I’ve also been glued to too many real-time maps over the last few days. Living in the U.S., it has been a frustrating waste of time, but I can’t claim to have been bored. The stakes are too high. Sorry to see nearly half of my countrymen still turning vast geographical swatches of my homeland red. Glad to have found your blog. It’s always refreshing to get an outsider’s view. We will try to get our act together.
I just realized that you are an American. 🙂 Fingers crossed that the momentum continues.
Well, you can say I’m an American OUTSIDER! Why not? 🙂
Lol. It sure feels like that to me sometimes as well.