Ok, at last check there have been over 19,000 hits on this little blog o’ mine, and I am beyond amazed that there are more than three people following me on a regular basis (well, seven if you include all the kids..um…eight counting my sister…ok, my sister-in-law and parents-in-law – that’s eleven). I feel a responsibility to you – to be as honest as I can be and with any luck, be occasionally interesting. If something tickles your inspirational fancy – all the better – it makes my day.
But there’s something going on in the media which is so blatantly flawed and untrue I feel it only right that I try to set the record straight – at least among my friends. You’re welcome to share this with whomever you choose, or just keep it entre nous – your call.
Every news channel, newspaper, e-magazine, etc is referring to Virginia and Florida as “swing states”. Friends, I’ve lived in Virginia for twenty odd years now. There is nothing ‘swinging’ about Virginia. Nothing. Nada. Nil. If anything, we would take umbrage at the intimation. Forget that whole ad campaign “Virginia Is For Lovers” – we’re as much for love as any other state (except Hawaii which is all about love). We have a lot of Civil War battlefields, Jefferson’s home (ok, there may have been some swinging going on there, but who’s here who can provide any specifics on that?), a couple of good amusement parks and some great wineries. Arguably one could go zip-lining in the Shenandoah and you might swing a little if you choose to do that. We have big malls, strip shopping centers, a lot of geese (who by the way are monogamous), farms and some gently rolling hills. The swings in our playgrounds don’t even go very high (or low). I have some friends who have experimented with ‘swinging both ways’ – but none of them live in Virginia. They’re in DC and Maryland. We don’t even do much swing dancing here. Most of us don’t know how to do it (although my in-laws are quite good at this).
And Florida – really? Have any of you been to Florida lately? Of course not, it’s the summer – who goes to Florida in the summer? And those people who live in Florida through the summer aren’t allowed out of their houses, for they’ll keel over from the heat if they venture forth. Yes, DisneyWorld is there – and when I visited with the boys twenty-five years ago, some of the rides did swing a bit. Save for that and the disruptions of hurricane-force winds, there is nothing moving in Florida, let alone swinging. Wait, I’m wrong – golf clubs – yes, there are golf clubs swinging in Florida. Is that what we’re talking about here? And if so, what the heck does that have to do with any reportage about the election? Does either candidate want to golf? No one’s asked me, but I wouldn’t think now is a good time.
Sigh…this is but one of the many reasons why I’m a political neophyte. If I think the terminology is strange and incredibly inaccurate, you can only begin to imagine what I think of the theatrical productions. This is why I stick with Broadway – things really swing there.
Waiting for the Karma Truck 