There seems to be no lack of folks who are quite amped up over the current political campaigns.  Supporters of all sides, and at all levels – local, state, national – are quick to share their viewpoints via social media, at the water cooler, and at social functions.  Many of them thrive on politics.  One of my BFF’s, as a matter of fact, loves politics and is extremely informed and knowledgeable as she is a virtual sponge for all information that is out there.

I, on the other hand, at this point in the season feel like pushing away my plate and sitting back from the table. I’m done, I’m full, I’ve had enough.   Don’t get me wrong, I do care about our future, I am attempting to make educated decisions, and I will of course cast my vote when the time arrives.  However, I will be thrilled when it is all over and I just don’t have to hear about the contests any more.  In the meantime, between the ads, the media coverage, the mail, the phone calls, the debates, the online presence – there is no escape for those of us who are weary.

So I find myself reverting back to some of the old mental tricks we have all played at certain times. You know, when you were back in college and sitting through a boring lecture class… or having to attempt to stay alert during a lengthy presentation…. And you begin to play games and think of things to keep yourself awake and not go into a brain-fog coma.   Yes, those are the games I employ when I feel myself starting to gloss-over at the sight of yet more political rhetoric.

For example, when I see the same tv ad for the 143^rd time in one week, I start to consider how the spot was produced – how many takes did he have to do, who selected her outfit, are they wearing make-up, is he really driving his car or faking it, is that a prop house…and what poor intern on their staff had to do the latest dirt-digging to come up with the most recent rumors against the opponent?

With the media interviews, I begin to wonder if the newscaster is getting tired of asking the same questions and getting unclear answers?  What time is it in that particular area of the country, and how early did the candidate have to get up to be on camera?  What did they have for breakfast?  And naturally I can always be entertained by the appearance of the candidate…. If it is a woman, who did her hair?  Who selected that jacket for her to wear?  What jewelry does she have on?  Does she have a child at home who puked on her as she headed out the door, or a pet who shed all over her suit?  Are that man’s teeth capped?

And best of all are the televised debates.  There is even more fodder for the “anti-brain fog game” with those.  Here are a few of my favorite points to consider:

1. Did the two sides coordinate their clothing/tie choices so as not to clash on tv?
2. What are they writing on their note pads?  In the recent VP debate,  Paul Ryan started writing as soon as he sat down – no talking had even begun. What could he possibly have needed to note down?  Did he have a great idea as he was walking onto the stage and didn’t want to forget to bring it up?  Was it something like “Joe is wearing red socks”?  Or maybe it was simply “pick up milk on the way home.”  My other theory is that throughout the debate, they are drawing caricatures of each other – hence the glancing up and smirking at the opponent.
3. Why do the VP’s get to sit down during their debates, but the Presidential candidates have to stand?
4. There are no commercial breaks. What if one of them has to go pee?
5. I had a minor panic attack when Paul Ryan, who was drinking quite a bit of water, had an almost empty glass… would someone sneak out on stage to refill it?
6. When it gets really bad, before I turn it off or change the channel, I start playing the “looks like….” game.  With all due respect, one of the candidates one night bore a startling resemblance to Sam the Eagle…

Yes, I know, I probably sound childish.  But really…. I just can’t keep up the enthusiasm, and I need something to keep me sane for the next four weeks.  And when all the votes are counted, I may be happy or fearful over the outcome…but no matter what, I will be celebrating that it is over.