Politics Shmolitics

For the first time in awhile, I feel I have so much to write about that it is hard to make a choice…..there was that concert we went to in September that I said I’d write about, several sports-related items, our recent vacation and a disturbing incident we witnessed in a Wal-mart there, etc. But the last couple of days, politics have been prevalent in my mind because of all the news coverage and because some bloggers I read have done several politics-related posts. Now, let me say, I don’t really like to do posts on politics for a few reasons.

1. Politics tend to be a very touchy subject (along with religion) and stir up mostly negative feelings and reactions. I have friends and family that don’t agree with where I stand on politics at this time and it makes me almost dread being around them for fear that the dreaded “P” subject will come up in conversation and an argument ensue. I, like a lot of people, feel passionately about my beliefs and though I know I won’t really change anyone’s mind, I cannot seem to resist making the attempt anyway.

2. I don’t think I have much to say that someone else out there hasn’t already said…..and probably said more eloquently.

But at this time, I have so much bouncing around my head that I feel if I don’t get it out I’m going to explode. So, here goes:

I am so tired of hearing about “Change”. This guy is for “Change”! This guy is going to make a “Change”! I’m sorry, folks, but waiting for a politician to change things is like waiting for a rock to make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Politicians in today’s two-party system don’t make changes….people do. Do you attribute the success of the Civil Rights movement in the 50’s and 60’s to politicians or to regular folks like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., Ralph Abernathy, Malcolm X, etc.? Sure, politicians eventually passed the bills but it was through the actions of regular folks like the ones I just named that moved them to do so. Politicians may take certain aspects of government in a different direction, but not enough to qualify for getting credit for “Change” in my book….well, except that you’d be hard-pressed to convince me that Reagan doesn’t deserve the credit for ending the Cold War and bringing down the Berlin Wall. You can try, though.

Anyway……that’s the problem with our government today, in my opinion. I’m tired of having to choose the lesser of two evils. I know, as most people do, that both the Republican and Democratic parties are really only interested in one thing……obtaining and then maintaining power. Sure, there is a difference in opinion or two between the parties and they may be pretty big differences, but ultimately they are the same and share the same goal. Most of those really interested in making a “Change” don’t have a “D” or an “R” next to their names and therefore have no real shot at even getting in the game. It’s all about the money these days and if you don’t have it you can forget it. McCain is rich, you say? Well, so is Obama. Who is richer? Doesn’t matter. Prove to me that there is a member of Congress not rolling in dough along with your name and address and I’ll do my best to find you a Bozo button and mail it to you. We’ve let things regress in national politics so badly that there’s no way Mr. Smith could get to Washington today but that is exactly what we need……regular men and women who love this country and want to make it better. We don’t need all the Thomas Jefferson Johnsons and Dick Dodges we have today and as long as we keep electing those kinds of people, please don’t mention “Change” in the same sentence as a politician to me.

But the reality of things is that I will have to choose what I perceive as the lesser of two evils. I definitely feel that the country is better off when the parties each control a branch of the government. A lot of people can’t see past the here and now, but if they’ll look back into fairly-recent history, they might remember that during the Clinton Administration, Democrats held the majority in Congress and corruption was widespread. The public got fed up with it, and ushered in a Republican President and gave the Republicans the majority in Congress. What happened? A few years later corruption was widespread, the public got fed up with it, and we now have a Democratic majority in Congress once again. Now many people are all for adding a Democrat for President again and many people think that the Democratic majority in Congress will grow (despite the fact that Congress has about a 10% approval rating)……anyone else see the road we are heading down? That’s the great thing about history….we study it so we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past. More people need to break out their textbooks and then maybe we can break the cycle of corruption.

I have mixed feelings about the way more people have become more politically aware in the last few years. It’s great that people are educating themselves on the issues and becoming more aware of important events happening in their own country. But at the same time, we are becoming bitterly divided. Look at the comments after a news story on the election, on message boards, or even at comments in politics-related blog postings. It gets really nasty really quickly. There’s not a whole lot of discourse involved…..mostly arguing and trading links to news stories about how this candidate did something bad or the unsavory character that that candidate is associated with. I admit that I read some comments that really piss me off and get my blood pumping and it’s all that I can do to not post an angry or cynical comment or put forth a counterpoint but I usually calm down and remind myself that most peoples’ minds are made up, so it’d be about as effective as trying to punch the wind. I know a lot of this has been brought on by a lot of peoples’ intense hatred for President Bush. I have stated my stand on President Bush several times before but will re-state it now…..I thought (and still think) that he was the better choice in the last two elections. I do not agree with everything he has done, however. I don’t think anyone who considers themselves a true “Conservative” can agree with everything he as done (especially when it comes to spending). I had (and still have) an intense dislike for President Clinton but I think that the office of the President is to be respected, so you never saw me sporting a bumper sticker or T-shirt or anything else disparaging him. The disrespect shown for President Bush has really sickened me. The stickers I have seen on some peoples’ cars are nothing short of reprehensible. I had to laugh when cruising through the Cool Springs area and saw a car with a Middle Tennessee State University Alumni sticker on it next to a sticker that criticized the President’s intelligence. Now, I know that MTSU is a good school, but Yale it is not. Just because you see someone on TV doesn’t mean you know them. I know I said Matt Damon wasn’t a genius because he played one in a movie, but that’s not the same as calling someone an idiot. Anyway, rest assured that if Obama becomes our next President, you’ll not see a “Buck Farack” sticker on my car.

So, basically, I cannot wait for the election to be over. I know that all the unpleasantries won’t end there but at least they will dissipate a little. I am nervous over the outcome of the election, but I know that it’ll be OK no matter what…..as I said, the parties aren’t really that much different. If Obama gets elected, I know I’ll survive. I made it through the Clinton years and everyone seems to have gotten through the Carter years OK, so I’m sure I’ll make it through the Obama years as well. I’ll have to bite back my anger at smug Liberal comments but as history has shown us, it’s only a matter of time before the tides go back the other way. I just hope that in the future I’ll have what I consider more suitable candidates to choose from.