Election agony

It makes me feel uneasy, and I can't for the life of me work out who would find it enjoyable, but the way TV presenters and programme executives frame their Election coverage, is that we are in for an exciting time watching a new and unpredictable political landscape unfold over the duration of an evening.

The only people who could possibly find this exciting are the TV people themselves, anyone who doesn't live here or is so wealthy and disconnected from harsh reality that they can luxuriate in some fascinated chin stroking.

I am in my 60th year now and therefore have experienced enough Elections to get a clear overview of this phenomenon. I have found every election coverage programme like a slow torture as the first part of the evening is unmitigated bullshit because no-one knows what is happening and as more seats are declared a thick cloud of despair and depression descend upon me as I realise that our lives are about to get even worse. It really is the most demoralising programme on TV, so much so it makes Big Brother seem hugely enjoyable.

Even when the results herald in the party I have voted for, it doesn't bring the joy and satisfaction I'd expect to feel, like I was seeing democracy bringing in a bright new future. This is because Murdoch's influence in the political process had hollowed out the manifesto from anything that might possibly be left wing.
Even when Labour won with the landslide that brought Tony Blair to power for the first time, I felt similar to having ate a wonderful but very greasy meal and immediately regretted it. Queasy doesn't adequately describe it.

We are on the verge of calamitous change and I don't know what to do tomorrow, I will feel like I'm by the side of the road watching a car crash in slow motion. I will feel my eyes are pinned open like Alex in 'A Clockwork Orange',unable to look away. I will feel a dissatisfaction that builds so slowly, with the ticking clock, with each passing minute, a dissatisfaction creating an anger that cannot be expressed externally and so I can only internalise it. Not nice.

You know the reason people now hate politicians? Instead of seeing them as being there to help us, they now seem like they are there to hurt us.

But despite that, I will vote Labour tomorrow. That is definate!

Despite my politics never being fully satisfied by the choices I get laid before me, I will fight the Tories until my dying day.

Although it is akin to the Myth of Sisyphus in which a man is condemned to roll a heavy rock to the top of a mountain, only to see it roll down the other side and then have to repeat the process for eternity, I don't want to be under that rock.

Having said all that, I still don't know what to do with myself tomorrow evening. I can't bear to watch that programme, however on this occasion ignorance is not bliss.

I think maybe, in my darkest hours I will watch the clip below and prepare to

 "Roll away the stone, why be cold and so alone".

Let's kick out the Tories, vote Labour Thursday May 7th and we'll take it from there.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/video/2015/may/05/no-normal-election-dont-let-your-voice-be-taken-away-owen-jones