Sloan: Some things mean zilch in politics

Issues I find non-substantive in the presidential race include:

• Clinton’s health: We all die.

• Trump’s hair: Most jokes about genetics are lame.

Wendel Sloan

• Clinton’s emails: I don’t understand why she used a private email server, but I know she won’t do it again. Politicians, like the rest of us, should be allowed to learn from lapses in judgment.

• Trump’s wives and kids: Although I suspect Obama wouldn’t have been elected with five kids by three wives, it’s not relevant to Trump’s candidacy.

• Bluster about veterans / making the military stronger: It’s political suicide not to support veterans. We already spend 37 percent of the world’s military budget — equal to the next seven countries combined.

• Blame for terrorists: Sadly, terrorists — including those at Benghazi, Beirut and on 9-11— kill Americans under every administration.

• Melania’s “scandalous” photos: She was a model, so what? I wouldn’t mind seeing the photos, but not for political reasons.

• Clinton Foundation: Unless donations to the Clinton Foundation changed government policy, they are irrelevant to governing the country.

• Trump’s wealth: Unless he wants to adopt me, I don’t care whether he’s worth $4 billion or $10 billion.

• They say: Any accusation beginning that way.

• Innuendo / cherry-picking: Don’t spread it if you can’t prove it. Respond to substance — not sound-bites.

• Photo ops: I don’t care which candidate appears at which church, disaster, factory, fair or other dog and pony show for the cameras.

• Clinton and Trump calling each other bigots: Voters are smart enough to decide who deserves what label.

• Religious affiliation: There should be a special hell for pandering politicians pretending to share voters’ faiths.

• Clinton murder conspiracies: Unless there is a smoking gun (so to speak), spreading nonsense about the Clintons’ body count is loony.

• Idiotic social media memes: I especially hate those claiming “This will destroy (insert politician’s name).” Unless satirical, non-factual ones make the sharers seem ignorant.

• Hogwash about abolishing the Second Amendment: No candidate is trying to take away legal guns from law-abiders. Believers are partisans who are naïve, misinformed, disingenuous, brainwashed or blinded by hate.

If you are one, take your pick.

Contact Wendel Sloan at [email protected]