Not That Important?

Kamau Bakari ad, Nevada                                                               screen shot

The subheading on the teaser for this story is "How to explain the US elections to non-Americans." I think there are more than a few Americans, myself included, who would like them explained to us as well. Maybe this happens every time and I just haven't noticed, but it seems that the results of this year's midterm elections are more significant ~ and less predictable ~ than usual. Here are five things to know as we hurtle haphazardly toward Nov. 4 (story, video): http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29485463
   A while back, I noticed that politicians had started calling people "folks." It was around the same time that I noticed the second-knuckle finger-point. I guess they'd gotten feedback that the whole-finger point seemed a little too parental or something. Then there's that female politician who's riding on the fact that she castrates pigs. Eww. Not a particular mark of pride in my book, but I guess it's working for her. The race to the folksy farm is nothing new in American politics, but it seems to be extra-popular these days. Don't they know we know it's all just so much hooey (to borrow a folksy term)? Or do we all know that?: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/02/magazine/the-bumpkinification-of-the-midterm-elections.html?_r=0
   You can check out the folksiness in action here (story, videos): http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2014-midterm-elections-7-wackiest-political-ads-year-campaign-season-article-1.1985024