As the presidential election is almost upon us, the people of the United States have been subjected to the petty slap attacks between our two major candidates over the course of the debates. Audiences have watched as the candidates have bounced insults and ideas off each other and reacted on-the-spot to criticism.
But the question has to be asked: What about the reactions of the undecided voters who are still on the fence?
The hope is that they are looking at the candidates’ stances on big issues and how well they handle themselves under pressure. But sadly, as pressing as the issues are for this year’s election, it seems that people are tuning in for more than just the issues at hand.
In articles posted by Huffington Post and Washington Post the publications both covered the fact that the second most searched word paired with Paul Ryan’s name was shirtless.
Honestly, is it really that important for the people to have an opportunity to swoon over the stomach of a possible government official?
When Kennedy was brought into office, his family became the first to become the movie stars of the white house. Now the trend has continued to the point of almost deciding the vote for some voters.
On top of that, it seems more jokes have been created this presidential election that has people cracking jokes more often. After Romney’s “binder full of women,” a horde of memes followed including one that shows a picture of the late Patrick Swayze with the words, “Nobody puts baby in a binder.” Besides that, Obama’s jab at Romney in the final debate ended with the Democratic Party running with the Twitter meme, according to the L.A. Times.
While these reactions are entertaining for those who are bored by politics, it should not be a deciding factor in finding the future leader of a country. Honestly, it would be impossible to take a government official serious if articles about our president’s morning workout and our vice president’s latest meme played majorly into voter’s decisions.
Beyond the physical appearance, beyond deciding which candidate voters will vote because they see them having a drink, it is now time to focus to the policies they are presenting.
This is now crunch time prior to the general election and this can be a potential turning point for the United States.
While each candidate is trying their best to gather support, focus on their words, not their abs.
Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.