Am I a Bad Citizen?

So this morning, I packed up my running clothes so that after work, I could head straight to Elysian Park for a workout. Only a little while later did I realize that by doing this, I'd be missing the second presidential debate. And you know what? I don't really care.

Now, I consider myself pretty damn politically engaged. I read about five newspapers every day (aside from the one where I'm an editor), and unlike another Sara[h], I could actually name them all if asked. And, probably to the detriment of my professional reputation, this year I made my first-ever political donation, a whopping $25. I've also watched the previous presidential debate, the vice presidential debate, and several of the debates during the primaries.

But the fact is, I made up my mind about this election eons ago. And sitting through a contrived session where both candidates come off looking like unlikeable assholes doesn't make me feel more informed, only more angry.

To me, the pressure to watch these debates is one I think is probably pretty similar to the feeling of obligation parents have when their kids are on a sports team. I don't care who "wins" -- and I'll go right on loving my candidate whether he performs well or not.