I've never cared this little about politics in my life

[Springfield]

I've followed politics for a long time. Ever since 7th or 8th grade, I found myself intrigued by politics. People making a difference in the world, people changing the country for the better. I followed politics very closely in my high school years and took AP Government when I was a senior in high school.

When I first joined the board here I was 25. I remember getting into many political discussions here. I remember calling MSF a socialist my first month here to land myself on the "Ignore list of doom". I recall having many adversarial discussions with people. I was very anti-Bush in my early time here. I joined in and piled on with all the people who shared my opinions. Good times.

...enough about me already. Well maybe not quite.

I just don't really follow politics any more. I don't look at either the conservative sites or the liberal sites to see what kind of drivel they are spouting any more. I don't really have an opinion either way on many current issues.

Health care? I have no idea what they actually did. What I do know is my employer got new health care this month and my rates are down by about $75 a month now.

The economy? From my perspective, it seems to be rebounding. People are spending more and more money with us, our monthly gross is up. Housing prices don't seem to have fallen any more in my area.

The war in Iraq? We're stuck there. We'll be there for decades to come. I've accepted this and sadly it seems right to me.

My taxes? I didn't take a hit last year.

I'm sure it's just apathy, but I just don't understand why I should care so much for something that makes such little of a difference. My life has literally changed 0% between two of the (possibly) most polarizing figures from either side. Why should I put out the effort to educate myself on seemingly meaningless things? I'm sure I can (and have) find better things to occupy my time and mind with than politics.

Is this normal?

[Hubbs]

I dunno, man. I think you're expecting major, instant changes from one election to the next. It usually doesn't work that way. It's incremental, so that you barely notice anything. You gotta think about how decisions made today will affect things a decade from now.

[chipwhich]

I dunno, man. I think you're expecting major, instant changes from one election to the next. It usually doesn't work that way. It's incremental, so that you barely notice anything. You gotta think about how decisions made today will affect things a decade from now.

Agree.

The health care bill had nothing to do with his health care costs.

The economy today may have no affect.

You have to pay attention to the future when it will affect you.

The health care bill has no real affects until 2014.

Don't be apathetic.

[December90]

I dunno, man. I think you're expecting major, instant changes from one election to the next. It usually doesn't work that way. It's incremental, so that you barely notice anything. You gotta think about how decisions made today will affect things a decade from now.

The changes are generally incremental and often we go thru cycles where we elect reversals of the direction of change. Unfortunately the only constant in this change seems to be we can add to government spending rather easily, but it is nearly impossible to cut government spending. We have sold the people of this nation on the concept that they will be taken care of and people get very protective of "Their" special handout.

No politician can win by cutting the things that are bankrupting this nation:-(

But don't worry if we are bankrupt, you get free stuff...

[Springfield]

I dunno, man. I think you're expecting major, instant changes from one election to the next. It usually doesn't work that way. It's incremental, so that you barely notice anything. You gotta think about how decisions made today will affect things a decade from now.

I see what you are saying, it just seems like there isn't much change at all. What change there has been isn't necessarily the fault of the politicians that spent their time, and our money, trying to make them.

There isn't really anything from the Clinton era that strikes me as having a drastic effect. Same thing goes for the Bush II early days.

Sure, events have happened. The tech boom could have happened to Bob Dole. The 9/11 attacks could have happened to Al Gore. I think that the leadership in the country has less of an effect on the current events than the current events have an effect on the leadership of the country.

Take for instance Clinton's balanced budget. Only a couple of years after he left office were we back into a large deficit. Sure there were plenty of extenuating circumstances, but it doesn't appear that Clinton's balanced budget really had any lasting effect.

On the other side take Bush's tax cuts. Business was great and housing prices shot up. Here we are almost a decade later and we are back to where we were before that, if not lower. Same case though, many extenuating circumstances.

[Perky72]

I'm sure it's just apathy, but I just don't understand why I should care so much for something that makes such little of a difference. My life has literally changed 0% between two of the (possibly) most polarizing figures from either side. Why should I put out the effort to educate myself on seemingly meaningless things? I'm sure I can (and have) find better things to occupy my time and mind with than politics.

Is this normal?

I don't know if it's similar but I get cyclicly burned out on politics. For the last ten years or so I only actively follow it preceding a Presidential election. Rest of the time I don't seek out news--never watch CNN or FOX, never read blogs. All the political info comes from postings on sites like this, and research from something others bring up.

It was too stressful to keep up in the '90s. And I also felt like a hypocrite--if I really cared about an issue, I should be out there on the street handing out flyers or volunteering at call centers, not spending so much time merely typing or talking about it. When I do now it's as a catharsis but not because I think it'll make a difference. Oh, and because it is fun sometimes and I learn more things about my own stances or why they suck. But it's not a major part of my life anymore and I feel a lot better without it as such.

[Springfield]

Don't be apathetic.

I don't really want to be apathetic. I'm just uninspired by anything in politics any more. Maybe it's because I'm content with my general situation in life.

There isn't really anything that grabs me and says, "Wow, they are doing the best thing possible!" or "Wow, they are really screwing this country up!"

I've noticed this ever since the whole health care debate started. It wasn't really the most pressing issue in my opinion, however I thought some change was needed. I don't really know to what extent they have changed anything or how it will effect me in the future. I didn't really understand what they were trying to do (since everyone isn't covered, or so I'm led to believe).

As far as the health insurance debate. It was too much for me to take in so I took a step back. It seems that I'm taking a step back from many political things though. I don't necessarily like that.

[desioreo87]

I dont follow politics at all. Im interested in the goings on but i honestly just check out the Daily show for the major things to see what is being done.

The only thing I care about is the healthcare part of POlitics because I want to be a pharmacist and care deeply about how this will affect my future patients. I work as a pharm tech right now and as it stands, insurance companies are utter *******s who will try to do what they can to not pay for something. Yes, that is overly exaggerated but there is enough truth in it for me to despise them.

The rest, i dont care so much about. I love sports. Sports is what I live for, its the first thing i check in the morning and the last thing i read before i go to bed. I check in at lunch, dinner, supper, snack time, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm....

I let other people deal with this ****.

Honestly, my brother tells me about whats going on. He is the most well-read person I know. He reads dozens of sites a day regarding most topics and I'll ask him about what is going on and he'll tell me whats up. Then I ask a few questions if I'm not getting something and then we talk about sports.

Yea, that sounds stupid but he is the smartest person I have ever met, who reads way more than 99% of the people I have ever met so I don't give a **** what people think about that.

[Slateman]

The war where!?! Iraq? Dude, we're leaving that craphole. We replaced it with Afghanistan

[Skin'Em84]

The war where!?! Iraq? Dude, we're leaving that craphole. We replaced it with Afghanistan

We're in a war????

[sacase]

We're in a war????

Its sad someone would say this when we have American soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen fighting and dying for the country they love.

[Hubbs]

SS, it's very possible to care about politics while thinking that our two main parties are too similar and we don't have enough options that will make a significant difference as voters. For example... me.

(That's probably why I care so much, actually.)

[ixcuincle]

Never cared about politics since 2003, just too partisan now and serious

[Burgold]

I think what you're seeing and feeling is that if you don't follow the day to day histrionics and despair of comment-based tv and radio (and here) that things are marginally improving. And so, the need to be outraged and have hot blood is less. If people are always in a lather it doesn't mean that righteously angry... it means they have rabies

or maybe an agenda. Sometimes, it's good to get out of the fire fight and just see things as they are.

[mcsluggo]

I've followed politics for a long time. Ever since 7th or 8th grade, I found myself intrigued by politics. People making a difference in the world, people changing the country for the better. I followed politics very closely in my high school years and took AP Government when I was a senior in high school.

When I first joined the board here I was 25. I remember getting into many political discussions here. I remember calling MSF a socialist my first month here to land myself on the "Ignore list of doom". I recall having many adversarial discussions with people. I was very anti-Bush in my early time here. I joined in and piled on with all the people who shared my opinions. Good times.

...enough about me already. Well maybe not quite.

I just don't really follow politics any more. I don't look at either the conservative sites or the liberal sites to see what kind of drivel they are spouting any more. I don't really have an opinion either way on many current issues.

Health care? I have no idea what they actually did. What I do know is my employer got new health care this month and my rates are down by about $75 a month now.

The economy? From my perspective, it seems to be rebounding. People are spending more and more money with us, our monthly gross is up. Housing prices don't seem to have fallen any more in my area.

The war in Iraq? We're stuck there. We'll be there for decades to come. I've accepted this and sadly it seems right to me.

My taxes? I didn't take a hit last year.

I'm sure it's just apathy, but I just don't understand why I should care so much for something that makes such little of a difference. My life has literally changed 0% between two of the (possibly) most polarizing figures from either side. Why should I put out the effort to educate myself on seemingly meaningless things? I'm sure I can (and have) find better things to occupy my time and mind with than politics.

Is this normal?

ah.... yet another victim (joyous convert?) of internet pornography.

[Springfield]

ah.... Yet another victim (joyous convert?) of internet pornography.

:rotflmao:

[Burgold]

Oh, and it almost seems inconceivable, but my taxes this year worked a third of what they were in 2008. You would have thought with all the caterwauling that I would be paying more not significantly less.

[GibbsFactor]

ah.... yet another victim (joyous convert?) of internet pornography.

A procrastabator that turned apathetic. Happens all the time.

[Larry Brown #43]

I'm with you on this, SpringfieldSkins. I find there are very few people left who will even consider the other side's position on an issue anymore. People will even argue for something they don't truly believe, simply to adhere to their party's platform.

Outside of one or two issues that I feel strongly about, I simply can't relate to either party anymore. I see people on both sides foaming at the mouth toward the other side, and I'm at the point now where I think they're all nuts.