We've hit the part of the General Election campaign that really starts to get on my nerves. The funny thing is, I genuinely think this vote could be one of the most interesting in the UK's history, given how disillusionment with large swathes of the political spectrum has resulted in no one party looking capable of gaining an overall majority. Five years ago the country was asked who they wanted to be governed by and we gave a shrug of the shoulders and went "dunno".
This year, I'm not even sure we'll get the mumble. It'll probably just be a sigh that accompanies the shrug. We keep being told that parties aren't considering a coalition, but at this stage you do have to wonder whether your vote is going to mean anything if two or more parties can just decide to combine their totals to win.
And that's coming from me - a man who's so adamant that you should go down to your local polling station and cast your ballot on Thursday 7 May that he gets annoyed at people who say things like "they're all the same". They're not; all Brussels sprouts are the same and are all horrible, but some politicians will benefit you more than others and that's why you need to go to the polls to say which you think that is.
There are several combining factors as to why this is, but there's undoubtedly a disillusionment with the UK public and politics. While turnouts have picked up in both 2005 and 2010, the overall trend is downwards since the mid-1970s - and who can blame people for not bothering when they've not got a clue what anything means or who to trust?
An emergence of 'career politicians' doesn't help; special advisors parachuted into constituencies the party can win in order to get that person a seat into the House of Commons rarely are able to identify with the local issues they're there to represent. Equally, the Commons isn't representative of the general public - the working classes are dreadfully under-represented and just over 500 of the 650 politicians sitting are male. There are 27 MPs from ethnic minority backgrounds. For the vast majority of people in the country, MPs just aren't relatable.
However, one of the biggest and most off-putting aspects of politics seems to be something that few have cottoned on to.
I'm a journalist. I've spent most of my working day today - and will do all days now in the run up to the election - making sure that my news bulletins are fair, balanced and that every party gets an equal say across the day on whatever issue the story is upon. I ask the questions "what is this person's position on this issue?" and "what is the best way for me to get that across?" as I put the bulletin together.
I'm focussed solely on what that party or candidate believes is the best argument to put forward so I can best represent their views. I have three minutes at the top of the hour to get as much news in as I can, so I really have no time to not cut the fat.
Flip it round, though. How many times do you hear politicians - especially the party leaders - saying "under this opponent's party, this will happen"? The actual party-politics of the election is one of the most distasteful things that we see and it's no wonder nobody knows who to trust if everybody's being tarred with all sorts of brushes.
It's only recently that Ed Miliband was verbally attacked by Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, and it was widely reported that many people found it distasteful that he said the Labour leader would "stab the UK in the back" over Trident. It's nice of politics to decide that's where the line has been drawn; that wasn't an isolated incident. It's come from all sides, at all parties and there's only one or two moments where an actual pledge or commitment has escaped from the mudslinging.
As a voter, I don't care what YOU think YOUR OPPOSITION will do if they're in power. I want to know what YOU will do.
General election campaigns have become a competition as to who can have the least shit still sticking to them when the polls close and that is completely the wrong way around. The electorate is not stupid and as soon as campaigning becomes name-calling and competition-bashing, the vast majority switch off.
If I have to spend my day finding the best possible way to represent your views - many of which I disagree with, for the record, but still have to give them a fair airing - then the very least you can do is the same. Campaign, by all means, but don't tell us what will happen to us under a government formed by another party or (as has been the case this year) who's trying to horse-trade with who.
Tell us what you're going to do and how you're going to do it and many more of us might just listen.