This short essay by Ambrose Bierce comments on the endlessness of the political process.  Even though the essay only consists of a couple of sentences, Bierce is able to convey the never-ending cycle of politics and how everything just seems to pass by politicians before they can make a decision about the topic at hand.  The author basically suggests that even though politics takes forever to complete anything, it will also last forever because politics is an essential part of our lives.  The essay is written like a humorous joke that Bierce could be telling to a friend.  In the joke, lightning overtakes a man running for political office, and this candidate says that he will last longer than the lightning will be able to.  The tone is definitely humorous, with some sarcasm thrust into it to give it punch.  This essay looks at human nature and society, and helps to address the question “is truth absolute or relative?”