I've seen enough.

One presidential candidate debate. One vice presidential candidate debate. A billion months of campaigning. I'm out.

Oh, I'll be voting in November, but I'm done watching the crazy. It's just not politically, mentally or spiritually healthy for anyone – much less the entire country. I'm exhausted by it and it makes me miss Jon Stewart even more.

I really don't want to know if you lean to the left or to the right on the political spectrum. What I do want to know is what are you doing about this mess of a presidential campaign season at your credit union? Nothing, I know … tax-exempt and all. I get it.

Here's my point.

Are you capitalizing on the madness of this agonizingly-long presidential campaign season to beef up and/or draw attention to and/or guide your members to participate in your elections and pay attention to the important issues up for a vote at your credit union? If you're not, you are missing a golden (hair) opportunity.

Credit unions are democracy in action. Sometimes it might feel more like inaction, I know. Despite the downfalls of a true democracy; even the nut who is ticked about how short your chains are that keep your credit union's pens in place – yeah, he gets a say in this true democracy. This campaign overload is an excellent time for you to bring out your inner Clinton or Trump to bring the message about your issues and elections to the membership.

For instance, if you have a board election coming up, you could hold a parody-style debate. Give each board member candidate two minutes to answer a question and the other candidate gets 30 seconds during that time to talk over the other person. You could end the debate with a series of “Your momma” jokes. It would all be done in good fun. I know it sounds like I'm joking, but I'm not. Your local media would eat this stuff up!

Another example for highlighting any issues you need your members to vote on can be approached using an anti-presidential campaign fact sheet. Let's say the issue is voting on opening a new branch in your community. The fact sheet, which presidential candidates release daily to set the record straight (if that's possible), could read something like this:

Trump says opening a new location would violate U.S. NAFTA agreements.

False! The new location would create 15 new credit union positions.
The new branch would fill banking needs for a growing part of our community.

Clinton declares that opening a new location is a plot by Trump and Vladimir Putin.

False! We conducted a survey of the community and found that 82% were in favor of having a financial institution located here.
The mayor and city council members are on record in favor of expanding our services to this area of our community.

Clinton and Trump were both seen at a hot-dog eating contest. Both deny they were there.

True! If our membership votes yes for the new location, we've decided that we'll hand out free hot dogs.
For our vegetarians, we will also have hummus.

You get the idea. I could go on because this kind of writes itself. Also, if your credit union put out parody fact sheets like this online and distributed them to your local media, I can almost guarantee you'd get coverage. Hell, I'd take a look at it because no one is doing stuff like this. It's unusual, original and it could be a branding boost for your credit union. The key to this working is that you have to make fun of both sides. I call it equally offending. That way, everyone is happy at the ridiculousness of it all and your message makes it to your members who will then turn out to vote.

In the short time I've been at CU Times, I've been called names (thanks mom) and some fairly good insults have been tossed my way. But those things, like the presidential election, I don't pay attention to because it's lazy communication. When there's an actual issue or message presented to me in a different and interesting way, I pay attention. Let's face it, we have busy lives and most of us are bored by the day-to-day existence of this election.

So think outside the pantsuit, or the troll doll hair, or the box and make this election work for you and your credit union. If you do try any of these ideas, let me know.

Final point. Why do we still call this a campaign season when the damn thing lasts for just shy of two years? Really, it's been documented that the presidential campaign season started a full 644 days before Election Day. According to an interview on Slate magazine's website, “That's enough time for some women to conceive and bear two successive children.” Think about that!

Let's just call it what it is, the Perpetual and Persistent Push for Presidential Power – the Ceaseless Campaign.

Be sure to vote and stay tuned for the next season of the Ceaseless Campaign. It'll be on every network. You won't be able to miss it.

Michael Ogden is executive editor for CU Times. He can be reached at mogden@cutimes.com.

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