Petty Political Spinning Undermines Deeper Issues

If you tune in to various political shows on television or radio, you're bound to get immersed in a lot of banter aimed at disparaging those political leaders or media commentators with differing views.  On TV, Fox News and MSNBC feed off each other's programming, regularly and derisively quoting snippets of comments their own commentators disagree with.  Leaders or candidates for political posts have their statements, personalities, and personal lives torn to shreds by their opponents in the media.  Sometimes the criticisms are relevant, but regardless the aim is to create doubt in the mind of the viewer as to the trustworthiness of the targeted individuals. To a degree I can understand this as, after all, nobody wants to elect someone who is incompetent, ignorant, or dishonest.  Unfortunately, our current electoral process seems to force candidates into showing themselves to be these very things. So for a voter to say that a candidate whose political orientation doesn't fit with their own viewpoint is speaking out of both sides of their mouth is really just a little bit ingenuous and self-deceiving when, after all, "their guy" is in all probability doing the same thing.  The only difference is the free pass being given to the latter.

Apart from being careful to avoid electing someone who is criminally insane to office, I think that, instead of harping on gaffes and the tedious political spinning dominating the media,  it would be a better idea for each of us within the electorate to decide where we stand, not only on the various issues that concern us, but also on the underlying political philosophies that underpin the parties which provide us these admittedly imperfect candidates (and they are ALL imperfect).  I can't make others deal with politics like this, but at least I can for myself...