on my lunch break today, i was watching cnn (where, because we’re nerds, the t.v. stays with great regularity…) and they had a hilarious and interesting piece called, the “m” word.. basically, it was about how the word maverick is so overused in the presidential race, particularly in the last couple debates.

i knew i couldn’t have been the only person who was thinking this.

for a long time, this has been driving me crazy. understand that this isn’t a political issue for me. it doesn’t drive me crazy for the fact that i’m for barack obama. i simply can’t stand that it gets used 417 times in every speech that mccain and palin make.

more than mccain, palin is terrible about dropping it. it’s pretty clear now that when she has no sensible response to the question or no substance, she simply reverts to her fallback talking point. look, we know you think he’s a maverick, you don’t have to remind us 17 times every sentence. when the question is about your favorite color or how to cross stitch, it’s unnecessary, mrs. palin, to utilize the word maverick. drop the schtick.

the other related thing that’s been driving me nuts is the people who say the following (in regards to mccain choosing palin as a running mate): i think it’s the most maverick things he’s ever done…

AHHH!

no, please quit! i seriously can’t handle it. not only is that completely cliché, but it’s ridiculous. the ironic thing about that statement is that it couldn’t be any more the opposite. by and large, people are finally beginning to realize that it wasn’t at all maverick, but, in fact, it was a purely political move. it has nothing to do with with qualifications or the interest of the country. it was about getting votes. in the beginning, that strategy seemed like it might work, but now, of course, the american public is finding out that the pick was a foolish ploy for votes.

so, everyone quit with the “m” word. stop.

(if i can track down that video from cnn, i’ll probably post it. here’s a clip that the cnn story referenced from leno the other night.)