Having a hard time thinking or talking about anything other than politics-

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

Help.

I want November 3 to be here so badly (with Kerry and many other Dems win, mind you). And I am getting back to work within the Dem party and several related causes as early as December.

But I am not only suffering from a bad case of fatigue, this election and all its attendant issues are almost ALL I can think about or talk about.

I interviewed with a professor for grad school today. He was one of my undergraduate professors at another university. ALL I could think about through the WHOLE thing was "wonder if he's a Kerry supporter????" Since my degree will be in education, it was easy to bring up No Child Left Behind, thus bush and I was relieved to see this professor SNEER his ass off when bush was mentioned. Then he came right out and said he is supporting Kerry.

WHY can't I get politics off the brain???? :cry: I'm not into sports so I don't have that. Maybe I should play a computer game for a while.

[Catshrink]

1. Me too. I'm obsessed.

I think I should turn off the TV and radio. I want it to be over, too! And I want a Kerry win so freaking badly!

[jdots]

2. keep away from the t.v. set ! more now than ever

i hear you my whole house is insane the only people here that are not living progressive rants are the dogs,but last night they asked me where i bought the dog food,NO I SWEAR it wasn't a wall mart i've only been to wall mart once.

[BlackVelvetElvis]

3. Normal reaction Moonbeam.

I can't imagine anyone (esp. on DU) not feeling overwhelmed by it all. I'm emotionally drained so I haven't been spending much time here lately. I'm seeing myself evaluate others on a percieved political philosophy too.
You're right about getting something else on your mind.
I'm channeling my energy...I have a 3D design class and am doing an anti war assemblage. I will be contrasting BushCo's hawkish stance against those who have died because of their incompetance. It was great to see my teacher get very excited about my idea!
Take some time for yourself.

[sister moon]

8. Wow, and I thought it was only me

I've been feeling exactly the same way. obsessed, burned-out, and I know I've become a tedious political bore to all my friends. I find myself HATING bushies, even people I previously liked. I went off on a casual acquaintance ranting and foaming at the mouth over the Patriot Act. I feel like I'm coming unglued. I have even sunk so low as to encourage my kids to give the finger to people with * bumper stickers in traffic. I've developed an "us vs. them" mentality--something I have always despised in others. Is there hope for me?

[BlackVelvetElvis]

13. Oh yeah, I def. understand.

Sometimes you have to pull back and gain some perspective.
A few days ago, our dept. lost a student to a hit and run. She ran out of gas on the interstate and was hit three times. She was sooo talented.
Life is so precious and short; a cliche but so true.

[movonne]

4. I think a lot of us on DU have the same problems...it is nerve racking...

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

5. Just for the record, guys

I NEVER watch news programs on TV, except occasionally Frontline or Nightline. That's it.

So it's not that. I am cavassing every single day and just worn out on politics. Ug.

I need to get back to my old movie kick, but I just feel like there's no time, we're too close....AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BadMatt22]

6. Me Too...

I look at everyone and ask myself "Bush or Kerry?"
Sometimes I just do not want to know...
I am a politics addict, certifiable. Ever since 2000.
I took election day off, it's a holiday! So will the next day - November 3rd will be a very happy and healthy day for America, and for John F. Kerry.

[Red State Rebel]

7. I've been the same way - the baseball playoffs have helped :)

We are Cards fans and being in the playoffs gives us something positive to talk about and look forward to. If our season ends tonite I'll have to find some other distraction :)

[BlackVelvetElvis]

10. The playoffs did help didn't they?

The lounge last night was great. I didn't understand how some got their noses out of joint over it. Aren't we allowed some joy?

[Red State Rebel]

15. Yep, it has been a great distraction

I know not everyone is a baseball fan, but this has been such a great series.

[Doctor_J]

9. uggh

got it real bad. work is slipping, dissertation is slipping, ... too much time spent on du :-)

[thoughtanarchist]

11. I feel your pain...

...more like anxiety, really. It's been like this for me since the moment I heard the words "Either you're with us or your with the terrorists" All the alarm bells began ringing and they never stopped. I'd been vaguely aware of a creeping corporatism (fascism) for a long time coming, but for the last few years it has been starting to look like a coup.

This is serious stuff. Things could get a lot uglier if we don't turn it around.

:scared:

[donheld]

12. I'm obsessed too

I just can't help it. soooo much is riding on this election. I think i've driven a few friends crazy with it.

[da_chimperor]

14. I've got a computer game for ya

I don't know if it'll help with the obsession, though :D

http://www.politicalmachine.com/

[riverwalker]

16. I drove 300 miles

to visit my son and 6 year old grand-daughter, and end up taking her to an John Edwards rally. LOL. This is a son who basically told me he is SICK of hearing about the war and politics from me all the time. Now his daughter is running around the house waving her Kerry-Edwards sign and yelling shouts from the rally: "HOPE IS ON THE WAY!" and "NO MORE BUSH!!".
I think I just became the Dixie Chick of Grandmas.... I giggled all the way home.

[Indiana_Dem]

17. I hear ya.

I had to go to a funeral today where the pastor talked for an hour and only 10 minutes of the speech was about the deceased, the rest of it was spent trying to win someone for Christ. It was very difficult for my elderly grandfather to sit there that long and I thought it was very inconsiderate to make people like him sit there that long--he ended up not going to the cemetary or the luncheon because the funeral service was so long.

Okay, now to the obsessed political mind that I've created of myself:

Keep in mind I AM a born-again Christian and I knew and agreed with everything he was saying BUT I felt it was way too long. Anyway, as he was talking that long my mind wondered like everyone's does and I thought to myself that people have developed an increased hate for Christianity like never before and this is all because of the Christian RW movement and this president's term. The president hasn't been drawing people to the faith, he's been pushing people away! Almost everything that this president has made occur this term flies in the face of how Christians are supposed to live or treat others. Do people look up and say "Praise the Lord!" when they see him? NO WAY.

Then I started thinking about the daughter-in-law and the deceaseds son. From what I had been told, they were very devout self-proclaimed fundie Christian. The deceased's son was very well off and helped run his mother's farm which would someday be his when she passed away. His wife has never worked and stays home. The deceased was diagnosed with Alzheimer's/dementia a few years back and they ended up putting her into a nursing home and she wasn't that bad yet. It only took the woman 3 years and she declined that fast after they put her in the nursing home. Then they hardly ever came and saw her. The deceased was up walking and talking and eating independently and only a little forgetful when they put her in the nursing home. I think the daughter-in-law could have at least taken her into their home for a few more years until she got so bad they couldn't anymore. But they didn't. It seemed they just wanted to be rid of her and took all her possessions. Maybe it's just my own ill-formed perception but it really bothered me today and I was disgusted. Then I linked their actions with the actions of our president and wondered why on earth some people talk the talk but don't walk the walk?

Maybe I have politics of the brain like you suggest. But I was very political in mind today even at this crazy funeral. I just can't get it off my mind either.

And then everywhere I go when I drive around I look for bumperstickers and signs. Everywhere I go I hope that my bumpersticker influences someone just like maybe mine and others' yard signs do. I've felt very confident lately and have had some hope barring nothing extreme happens in the next week. That is my only worry.

I went to vote early today in Indiana and they say they've had at least 100 people come and vote every day that it's been open! That's about 500 people to date! And we only have a county with about 20,000 and not everybody is registered or of age. So that is a good sign! I also turned in 4 more absentee applications today from older people who are very perturbed at this administration and want to vote really badly. One woman said that if her husband were alive today he would be so upset at the way this country is going and that he served in the Navy and fought for this country.

See how obsessed I am?.....my whole day revolved around politics.