According to CNN’s Miles O’Brien, I have OCED — obsessive-compulsive election disorder.
Ouch. It was a cute little filler feature on CNN, but the man really hit home with his thesis. I definitely have OCED. I check the polls online several times a day. I read most of the stories on Real Clear Politics from all sides of the political spectrum. I listen to the pundits all day; the TV is on almost constantly, tuned to one or another of the big news channels, even if I’m not actively watching. I deliberately turn to Fox News to make sure the conservatives get their chance to yammer at me (I won’t watch Hannity or O’Reilly, though.).
I’ve been like this for almost two years, although I’ve gotten progressively worse. I grouse that there’s nothing but election stuff on TV, but the TV is still on. I complain about how sick I am of this whole election thing, but still I watch and read and listen.
The cure will be painful. As one women commented during the feature, it’s going to be cold turkey next Wednesday. Ewww. At least I haven’t spent a ton of money on this thing like CNN did to build their “Magic Wall” map of the U.S. What are they going to do with that thing when the elections are over?