Seniors are sick of political bad-mouthing

Havre Daily News/Lindsay Brown

Toni Hagener discusses politics with a group of ladies at lunchtime Tuesday at the North Central Senior Center.

While candidates may say that they care about all of the voters, they know that they can't win without those likeliest of voters, the senior citizens.

That's why, even though only 13 percent of the population is over 65, every candidate in every race is claiming that their opponents are a threat to Medicare and Social Security.

But the seniors eating lunch at the North Central Senior Center Tuesday afternoon were not talking about candidates plans. They were more concerned about the lack of real information offered in favor of shallow attacks and meaningless sound bites.

For most, the election season is just an exhausting marathon of leaflets, door knocking and angry TV commercials that could stand to be much shorter.

"They shouldn't start campaigning until two weeks before the election, " Lola Holst said. "And everybody should have the same amount of money to spend. "

Her table agreed.

Marvin Kleinjan seemed especially disconcerted by the money.

"They're bought into office anymore, " Kleinjan said. "Whoever pulls in the most money wins. "

For his wife Gail, the issue is more about the message that this money is being spent on.

"We don't get what they stand on. We only get the negative attacks, " Gail Kleinjan said. "I don't believe them, but it's hard not to let it seep in. "

Norm Gorder expressed a similar sentiment, though he began by saying "locally, we're pretty well represented. "

"I don't like all the lambasting each other all the time, " Gorder said. "Why don't they talk about the good things they do? Build a person up instead of knocking them down? "

Almost unanimously the lunchers agreed that they are "sick of throwing the candidate's garbage away for them, " as a shy diner put it.