the donkey & the elephant

so... wondering minds need to know:

what is the fascination with showing up at political rallies or primaries? Why spend hours in a crowded room with dorks and fanatics to see a person full of hot air speak of empty promises that they will most likely renege on? I don't get the appeal.
To be fair - I dont understand the obsession with celebrities either. Why dress up to go to a movie premiere where you stand around in the rain or heat admiring other people (they're just humans too) when you can see the movie at the theater (while wearing sweats if so desired) in a couple weeks?

While I love this country and democracy (yes, even with all of its' flaws), I don't understand the crowd-mentality surrounding the candidates. Before TV, it was a necessity to reach the audience through public speeches, publishing articles in newspapers, etc. But that was back when they said a man in a wheelchair would have never been elected president had the general public had access to television like we do today. Nowadays - those reasons simply don't exist anymore. We have television, radio, internet, widespread world-wide newspapers and periodicals of all sorts. If you have a message - you can get it out there. And don't give me crap about "connecting with constituents". Politicians are consistent, if on nothing else, about forgetting about where they come from and who they represent. Most of them lie/fib, cheat and "steal" to get into office. Mainly because of the power trip they get from holding a public office. An honest politician is about as rare as a snowstorm in Phoenix.

And with all the slimy, underhanded, and borderline-ethical methods that come along with campaigning now - is it even worth showing up? Candidates are planting people to ask questions that they have pre-planned politically correct answers to. Are you truly passionate about the process or do you just get drawn in by the power and magnetic personalities of the candidates - one of whom will be the most powerful man/woman of the United States come November?

i guess i'm just curious what propels people to get off their butt and come to political events. Seeing that our nation is almost at an obesity epidemic - people won't get off the couch and their butts in gear/exercise to save their lives - although, that curiously, is the thing that would save their lives. Pondering minds (probably just mine) wonder what this magical force is that surrounds politics. This curiosity could also be sheer annoyance because all "super tuesday" means is that Scrubs got scrubbed tonight... but I digress. Either way, politics at this stage is alot of bullshit. And the saying goes around here "you can't bullshit a bullshitter."

till next time... donkey or elephant - it's a ride either way.