Well, folks, this election season is reaching its end. As much fun as I had following the candidates, the issues that face our country and even the more lighthearted side of the presidential campaign, what I'm really going to miss the most is the opportunity to develop unique, important political opinions that I could express to anyone within earshot.
I'm no political scientist, but during an election season, who cares? As long as the media gives us political actors in front of our faces and mostly abstract situations for them to react to, I'm Lyndon effing LaRouche.
Basically, I am a one-man think tank, except smarter, because I read the Internet a lot.
Take this on for size: "The GOP is under attack for massive deficits and their destructive approach at home and abroad. If Romney loses, the infrastructure of the toxic relationship between Beltway insiders and unprecedented exit polling numbers will be gutted, and Republicans will need to do some serious soul-searching. After all, Nate Silver's narrative blitz confirms that consensus-building is the key to organically understanding the magic number: 270. Conventional wisdom dictates that fracking is a failed policy of a disaster of enormous proportions, but let's not forget to fact-check the fact-checkers." Voila!
I also have several opinions about Michele Bachmann and Donald Trump. (Hint: I don't much care for them!)
Some may decry the 24-hour news cycle as being destructive and divisive. But not me. I can tell that everyone I know is just waiting with baited breath to hear my take on the latest thing in the news. New polling numbers? Let me decode them and explain what they mean for the two major party candidates, no problem. Hell, if I'm feeling frisky, I mean even connect them to their congressional implications, and what they mean about the agendas of the individual parties. And that's before breakfast.
The Founding Fathers would be extremely proud of me and my opinions, even if they might not agree with all of them. But that's what it's all about, right?
Now, just because the election is ending doesn't mean my opinions will end. I'll have plenty to say on Twitter (trust me). Nobody will be able to shut me up -- not that they would want to. I can't even imagine what it would be like to not offer my point of view on every news event.
Some may call me a wonk, but I like to think of myself as an extremely interesting American citizen.
In the hours after the election, I will most likely even write a long form piece with what lessons have been learned, and what Romney and/or Obama could have done differently in order to pull out a win. I'll probably have a lot to say about the definitive thing that lost the election for the losing candidate.
I don't know what that lesson will be yet. It'll be really good and thoughtful, though.
By the way, I'm available as a panelist for cable news, talk radio and podcasts. My specialties include synthesizing information from the media and delivering my take on that information.
I look forward to reading your comments about this opinion piece. What's your take?