I Wish I'd Said That

This is my favorite time of the year - actually every four years - when the Presidential election draws near. The national and state pundits, and well as the many staffers for both major campaigns,  let loose with the descriptions that they've been saving for just this time of year.

For example, Romney has been described as wanting to take from the poor and give to the rich based on his minimally described economic plan (sorry - "trickle-down economics" can't be used as it dates back to the Reagan years) - so now we get "Romney Hood", reversing the Robin Hood concept.

Not to be outdone, a new descriptor has arisen about Obama's failure to solve all the economic problems he inherited, and so his descriptions of all he has done is now described as "Obamabaloney". This will give the discredited "birthers" as something else on which to focus.

Both candidates remind us of the mythical Greek god Icarus (yes, that name as appeared in a recent column), whose wax wings melted for flying too close to the sun. As a result, not wanting to alienate the base with major initiatives, both target their ads to the "low information" voters who have yet to make up their minds and have to be reminded, in the simplest manner (let's ignore major policy positions), that an election is about to happen and maybe they should wander down to the voting booth. Since there is little policy, we have to look to clever phrasing and are not disappointed this election cycle. Make it simple and catchy and buy ad time on programs like "Dancing with Those on Survivor Island".

Beyond that, in a tangential manner. others join in the fun. Jon Carroll has redefined the traditional use of "Plutocrat" into what I have seen for the first time as "Kleptocrat", suggesting the financial crisis caused by Wall Street and assorted bankers has been good to them at the expense of the rest of us, the great unwashed.

And to think, we still have three more months to revel in the phrase-making and political trivial pursuit. And I've got my highlighter at the ready to note new terms in the "panderfest" as the candidates seek out those last few votes.