This is facing up to be one of the most cyclical and bizarre presidential campaigns in history. Well, maybe not. I didn’t live one hundred years ago, so I can’t say I was there. Follow:

One of the feeds I read in the morning go-round is ThinkProgress. The folks at ThinkProgress report on the other side’s sayings as if they’re serious. Romney says that Obama has been on a spending spree. Romney knows full well that this is a falsehood. Romney says Obama doesn’t know anything about how capital moves. Okay. ThinkProgress reports it as a political outrage for the left because this, apparently, sells. One the right, Red State goes on the offensive, illuminating the audience on economical fictions. They know the political winds, too.

The Romney website is packed with generalizations about most everything. It’s about as empty as an unwritten novel. The Chrome web browser gives this message if you drill on load

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The website’s info on Education (I know, I’ve studied years of this language) and the Economy (same) are an “inside” joke. Do you know what I mean by “inside joke”?

The birther issue is a classic case of our current problem. People are perfectly aware that this is a none issue, but they know it’ll work as a political wedge, just something to generate print space. Anybody selling the “Obama citizenship” issue knows exactly what they’re doing. That’s the sad part: that new media can be “wedged” or “forked” as intrinsic artifice.

Pretty simple stuff if you work in the world of political strategy: use Twitter to spread the word about what we know is BS and pretend we believe it. But if you work on the farm or in a salon, it’s worse than hair wringing.

I think people want as close as they can get to generosity and authenticity as they can get in their reps, whatever the party offiliation. But don’t look for it in politics. You’ll find it in poetry and fiction. Poets have nothing to lose.

My disclaimer is that I’m an Obama supporter. I’m one of his small supporters. But I’m a sad supporter, and I don’t agree with him all the time. But if he came to my house and said, “Hey, Steve, would you help with this?” I’d do it. If Romney came, I’d offer him a glass of water and a bit of advice. Go do what you’re good at: making money. Just because you made loads of money doesn’t mean you’re qualified. IMHO!

But then I remember: he knows this. It’s not about being qualified. If it were, the friends I have who’d love a job would have it.

I could certainly be more articulate about this. But, at the moment, reader, I’m just too POD.