Can't We All Just Get Along?

Alright folks, it's time to fire up the patriotic music, pose with the nearest small child, and dance in a shower of hanging chads!

It's election season! Yay!

And in no other state is the voting populous treated to more entertainment than in the lovely state of my residence, Minnesota. Among the stage acts this year is the race for the Senate seat being vacated by Democratic Senator Mark Dayton, a seat that Republicans would love to nab, with Minnesota being a blue state and all, and so the mudslinging has begun. Upon the first polls being released, Republican U.S. Representative Mark Kennedy has found himself down by as many as 24 percentage points to Democratic Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar, and in order to make up ground has begun to release ads smearing his opponent. Point to Klobuchar for staying on the political straight-and-narrow.

Now, we've learned that some random Democratic blogger sent one of Ms. Klobuchar's top aides an email containing an unreleased campaign ad from the marketing agency in charge of producing ads on behalf of Rep. Kennedy. This aide allegedly viewed the not-yet-released campaign ad, and it was brought to the attention of Ms. Klobuchar that this had occurred. Instead of ignoring or making excuses for the aide's behavior (which we've seen PLENTY of in the politics of the past few years), the person was promptly fired by Klobuchar, an FBI investigation into the incident was requested by Klobuchar, and a public apology was issued.

Long story short, Klobuchar is now under attack from Kennedy for everything but high treason, and now Republicans will have us believe that Ms. Klobuchar sent political operatives out onto the internet to dig up dirt (or as much dirt as you can dig up in a self-promoting campaign ad) on Mark Kennedy. And they believe we're all going to cry foul, flock to an honest Republican like Mark Kennedy, and sweep him into office on a wave of votes and kisses.

I, personally, am impressed that Amy Klobuchar stood up and said "This is not what my campaign is about" and dropped the person from her campaign, no excuses offered and no questions asked. Let everyone spin the story how they'd like... the fact is, the candidate who is massively losing will always be the first to sling mud and the first to cry foul. And you can't convince me that a desperate man who has made it his first and foremost campaign plan to smear his opponent can be trusted to provide us with any truth about this situation, much less so lead our lawmakers in Washington.

Ah, election season. I agree, politics is dirty... and politicians maybe more so. Let's all be opinionated, but let's all do something about it. Vote. Please. I don't care if you're Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Veterinarian, Green, Blue, Red, Purple, Pink... just don't be Grey when it comes to voting, this is a basic American privilege, and if we are indeed a nation who will bomb and occupy other nations so that they can have this right, shouldn't we be the first to excercise it?