If you're like me, and I hope you are in this respect, you never miss the opportunity to talk with your neighbors and friends about the upcoming Virginia Elections on November 8.It's been a year since my last dental checkup, and this morning I not only got a gold star for my brushing technique *wink*, but also had one of the most interesting political discussions of this campaign season with, of all people, my cool new dentist.
Well, I at least waited until the "rinse and spit" / "any more questions for me?" portion of the visit to start the convo:
Me: I have two questions actually. 1. Sometimes when I eat a popcycle my front tooth..., and 2. Have you been paying any attention to the Campaign for Governor?
*ding! ding! ding!*
Dentist: [really good dental advice about roots and temperature], and, ya know, I could turn off the TV and never hear another negative ad from these guys, and I'd know more about this campaign than I do now.
Yes! Total opening for a great convo. This is gonna be good!
Me: Well I can bottom line it for you. Real quick, Tim Kaine is the Lieutnant Governor, and Jerry Kilgore was the Attorney General. Kaine is the Democrat, Kilgore is the Republican. Basically, when Tim Kaine came into office with Governor Warner they'd inherited a deficit from the previous administration...Dentist: Yes, $6 Billion.
*My Dentist Rocks!*
Me: yeah, that's right... And Warner and Kaine got a bunch of Democrats and Republicans to reform the whole tax structure so that they balanced the budget and have a surplus and made investments in roads and put $1.5 Billion into education.Jerry Kilgore was the Attorney General, but he quit to run for Governor. His main positions come from the national GOP, and his primary credential is that he's been working with the national party for a very long time.
So we go back and forth a bit. Interesting conversation. I try to give him as much unspun fact and positivity on both sides as I possibly can. Problem is that Kilgore's positions are so far out of the mainstream, it's kinda hard. Less than 20% of Virginians agree with his "Cruel and Hateful" position on abortion, and as far as a record, it's just not there. I tell my dentist about Tim Kaine reducing violent crime in Richmond when he was mayor, and making the schools better and making Richmond one of the 10 best cities to do business with, and how Virginia is one the best managed state in the nation. A good convo overall.
Then things get interesting:
Dentist: I think it would be good if TV stations donated time for political candidates, that way it would be more about ideas and participation, and less about money. If we could get money out of politics it would be so much better. Now, it's all about money. Shouldn't it be about qualifications, ideas, and how you get things done. All these ideas that polticians come up with aren't going to pay for themselves.Also, look at the problem with George Bush right now, he's going to give a big speech today about Iraq. Is it going to inspire anyone? Is it going to change anything? Is it going to make the Anti-War stuff go away? No. It's going to put people to sleep with the same old same old. George Bush was handpicked by the National Republicans because he raised so much money. Aren't people supposed to pick who they want to put in office? You have to be able to inspire, and George Bush just can't. He was good at raising money. That's all that matters anymore.
Wow! After that I told him about how Jerry Kilgore continues to try to duck out of debates and how the first one was in West Virginia, the second was broadcast on one channel at 1pm on a workday, and that now Jerry is trying to get out of the one primetime debate, for fear that anyone will actually hear him speak.
Me: All it takes is one word out of Jerry Kilgore's mouth to convince people not to trust or vote for him.
Which in my experience is true. We finished up and I told my dentist to look out for the October 9 debate.
So here's my most excellent Dental Checkup Checklist:
1. If the American political system is about ideas, responsibility, leadership, and getting things done, shouldn't we make those things more important than money?
2. The October 9 Debate may be the only chance we have to let ideas, credibility, and leadership overshadow Money in Politics in Virginia in this entire campaign..
3. I need to buy a bunch of the toothbrushes I've been using, because they're working really well for me, and these stupid manufacturers will discontinue a good toothbrush design at the drop of a hat.
My Dentist is really smart. I think I'll stop back and see him after the debate and see if he'll put up a Kaine for Governor sign. Oh, and I have to go back for another checkup in 6 months.