Election Obsession Syndrome
Do you find yourself obsessed with the presidential election? Washington Post columnist Gene Robinson offers some symptoms that you may want to check yourself against. Do you find you know which states are solid vs. leaning for one candidate or the other? Are you a regular at sites like www.realclearpolitics.com or www.fivethirtyeight.com? Do your viewing habits primarily consist of one news show after another? If you can answer “yes” to any of these questions, you may have election obsession syndrome. (Check, check and check for me – I’ve got it.)
I love Gene Robinson as an analyst and writer. He’s got style, intelligence and wit. This morning he makes the point that this election “feels as if we've been making our way through some great epic novel, by Tolstoy, perhaps, or Thomas Pynchon — a book peopled by indelible characters who act against the backdrop of sweeping events.” And, of course, like a book that you’ve become engrossed in, you have the urge to race ahead to the end of the last chapter to see how things turn out. Robinson notes that that’s where we are as a country right now. Waiting breathlessly to see how it turns out.
If it’s not the election, it’s the economy, right? Let’s all take comfort in the thought that this, too, will pass. In the meantime, let’s try to enjoy the ride while we stay engaged with what we can influence in our lives and careers. Just curious, though, what’s got your full attention these days?