You know I was just wondering if anyone else felt the way I did about this whole election fiasco when suddenly I have heard three times now on the national media, both radio and television reference to the Democratic Party as Socialist. This is something I wrote about recently http://farrwestview.blogspot.com/2008/01/limbaugh-taught-me-wrong.html but have been thinking for several decades now. While this is comforting on some levels (knowing I am not the only one thinking this way) it is disturbing on other levels (what if it is true and intentional). Sometimes even when you are right you don’t really want to be. I want to be positive, optimistic and hopeful about the future but some of the possible scenarios are scary.
What if the Presidential election is really down to the final four media selected entrants of Obama, McCain, Huckabee and Clinton? What if no other candidates step up to the plate? What if Republicans and Democrats are really just two sides of the same coin? What if there is no viable third party competition? What if all this talk of change is just more of the same old line we have bought into time and time again?
If this really is the sum total for choices we have been granted this November, what difference will it make who gets in? They will once again promise us pie in the sky high living and the solutions to all life’s ills, then get into office, take care of their closest friends, play high and mighty while they live the good life off the back of taxpayers, and try to pass some more useless legislation to make them feel like they are earning their keep all the time looking for a reason to be patted on the back.
And there is such a large selection of problems from which to choose. International relations or lack there of, failing economy that is selective in its rewardings, universal health care from an overly regulated yet out of control medical industry, and designing and running neighborhoods that just don’t quite look the way they should on their own, and the only way to cure it is to do more of the same only with more meaning.
Whoever wins (?) the next election will truly inherit a collection of challenges that will require some extreme talent to convince the American public that they made the right choice in picking them. But then again, if they were good enough to convince a majority to vote for them why shouldn’t we expect them to keep the magic alive. After all, Bill Clinton still has admiration and popularity. Is that really all it takes is a little charm and favorable media to remain in good standings?
Funny thing about reality and time, they eventually show the true handy work of everyone’s own making.
Sounds pretty cynical doesn’t it? Sorry. It’s just that it seems like I have seen this all too often and I don’t see it changing anytime soon. As long as a majority of the people remain in their ignorance, they will be susceptible to manipulation, and through that manipulation, they will slowly give away their liberties. We have already handed away so much of what our forebears fought so hard to pass on to us. The promises of a better life by giving away your responsibilities is just too enticing for some. Greed and selfishness are winning out over integrity and self determination in this age. If this pattern doesn’t change soon we really will be able to notice what George Orwell warned us about, some animals are more equal than others.
There is a lot of talk even from die hard Republicans that they will not vote this round, that they are left without a viable candidate that can represent their values. This is especially hard for the conservative groups as Mitt Romney seemed to be the only candidate beside Ron Paul talking about the conservative viewpoint. Romney wasn't as hard core as Paul so at least he had a shot. If they sit this one out, it will in essence hand over the election to the Socialist. Then depending on the type of Congress that is elected (and why should we expect anything different there) we will either see a continuing slide or an actively pursued slide away from the ideals that defined the American dream of the last century and those of its founding.
(By the way, did you know that the approval rating for Congress is only about two thirds that of the President. Everyone hears about the Presidents poor approval ratings but does the media ever give us the full picture. It really is time for a change but we’ll not see it from the bunch that has been selected for us.)
How bad do things have to get before the voice of the people crying ‘enough is enough’ can be heard? I actually take optimistic hope in all of this. As I have said before, I want to vote for something instead of always voting against something. From some of what I am hearing there are others out there feeling the same way. We deserve much better than what we are getting this election. We have been deserving of it for a long, long time. If ever there was a time for “None of the Above” this is it http://farrwestview.blogspot.com/2008/01/they-endorsed-who.html . But even then, is there enough of the voting public willing to stand for something, or do we really get what we deserve?
If the percentage numbers of actual voters that vote in an election to the total population at large is any indication, there maybe a whole lot more of us out there waiting for something to vote for than not. Perhaps that is were the real majority can be found. Perhaps they are just waiting for someone with true principles and values to stand up and really be a representative for America. Perhaps we should have given Ross Perot more credit. Perhaps we should be more demanding of exellence in our political parties and process. Perhaps we should be active in defining the platforms of our parties to insure they represent our true values and beliefs.
Perhaps we really do get what we deserve.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
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