No Thanks to the Michelle Obama Visit

By all accounts Virginia is going to be a pivotal state in the upcoming election. If you believe the pundits, not only does Virginia represent a key state for President Obama but the Senate race could very well decide control of the legislative branch as well. The high stakes combined with the proximity to DC means that we will likely be seeing a lot of the Obamas over the next several months. To them I say "no thanks." 

While I understand that presidents are on an increasingly permanent campaign, that doesn't mean that I don't find it to be a nuisance that President Obama has been on a barnstorming tour aimed at doing little more than building his public profile the last several weeks. While I understand that campaigning is unfortunately an important part of the job description, that doesn't mean that I have to accept that our government effectively shuts down for several months a year while the politicians beg us for donations and distract the masses from the fact that they are basically part-time employees getting a full-time salary. And while I understand that elections can serve a function for improving democratic representation, I also note that the recent ads have only served to villify both candidates and convince me that neither one is really fit to lead this great nation.

Michelle Obama is the First Lady, which means her role is largely ceremonial and inspirational, so it's perfectly appropriate for her to travel. But again, we're going to see more than our share of the candates and their surrogates over the next few months so forgive me if I'm not excited. Forgive me if I'm not looking forward to any number of traffic issues on a Friday night between here and DC. And forgive me if I'm not looking forward to the inevitable bump in positive coverage that the president will get from the local media because of their awe that a political celebrity was in our town. 

We don't need this visit. It's an inconvenience, it's superfluous, and it ultimately only serves the Obamas and those lucky enough to get tickets to see the First Lady in person. I know it's a part of the game, and I know this isn't the first time it has happened (nor will it be the last), but I could do without it. If only our politicians worked as hard at their jobs as they do at keeping their jobs maybe we'd be in a much different world.