With the campaign drama winding down and election result drama picking up, it is still apparent that many votes in the mid-term elections could have been based on something other than the important issues. Most of the political ads attacked a candidate’s stance on irrelevant issues. Gay marriage was a major issue in many conservative areas. Race was even a factor in at least one race. It is ridiculous that such issues are more important than the war in Iraq or the national deficit.

The Republican National Committee released a negative ad against Tennessee Senate Democratic candidate Harold Ford Jr. several weeks ago. The ad insinuated that Ford, a black man, would date a white woman, playing on irrational and racial fears of a black man dating a white woman. It is speculated that the ad helped give Republican candidate Bob Corker the edge in the tight race. Race should not have been a campaign issue. The candidates’ stance on taxes or the state of the country should have been conveyed by the messages and the reason for voting for either of them.

The death toll in Iraq is nearing 3,000. The national debt increases daily. How is race or who a member of a certain race dates a relevant campaign issue?

Gay marriage was another widely addressed issue during the campaign. Many conservative candidates insinuated that their liberal opponents would allow gay marriage if elected. This is far from the truth, considering that most politicians have a conservative or neutral stance on the issue. Even if a candidate was for gay marriage, how is that relevant considering the issue effects only homosexual couples in a legal sense? Gay marriage is of great importance and key to the country upholding every citizen’s equal rights. It was irrelevant in comparison to the more important issues at hand.

With the results of the Virginia senate race still pending as of Wednesday night, no matter what the results, the mid-term election results were still promising. It seems most people overlooked the irrelevant issues and focused on what needed to be changed to improve the situation in the country. The American public has rejected the status quo in favor of a more representative government, one that will address the issues of relevance such as war and the nation’s growing deficit.