Sad, But True
D. S. Mitchell
Calamity Politics is coming to you today from the North Oregon coast where we still respect women and protection of the weak, the sick and the elderly.
Sadly, it seems to me, that “people” never vote for policy. Which is what effects their every day lives. Instead, politicians have figured out that “people” vote for hot button issues, the candidate’s appearance and stage comfort being other factors. There seems to be a total disconnect for many people. The individual political party platforms state clearly the values and direction of that party. Furthermore, the history of the individual parties actions when in power are a pretty reliable predictor of how they will govern.
Characters like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Newt Gingrich are continually ginning up the right wing base with attacks against any and all “liberals” “lefties” “progressives”; and the “Democrats” specifically.
I’m proud to be a liberal if that mean, in the words of JFK, ” Someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people—their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights and their civil liberties—someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad. If that is what it means to be a ‘Liberal’— then I’m proud to say I’m a liberal.”
Speaking of Newt Gingrich, an admitted adulterer, a man who is known for his abrasive and erratic behavior, a guy who was charged with 80+ ethics violations resulting in a $300,000 fine, is not someone I would ever want playing surrogate for me. Apparently The Donald doesn’t care who is beating his drum, as long as someone, no matter how discredited they have become.
As I examine these two men, I am reminded that President Trump and Newt Gingrich share many personality traits: abrasive, confrontational, disorganized, reactionary, corrupt, unethical and dangerously unpredictable and chaotic.
“Two peas in a pod,” my wise old mother would have said.
So, I ask that great question, “Can a boring, geeky, ethical guy or gal, with a wonderful policy program and a history of dedicated public service ever again be elected to the highest office in the United States?
After a lot of thought on the subject, I say. “NO.”
Under the current system, it is becoming less and less likely that a person of real honesty and integrity will ever occupy the White House, again.
“Why has this happened?”
The answer is because of us. Most of us are bystanders in the governmental process. Some of us vote, some of us don’t. We have allowed both political parties to abuse power through overt and covert voter suppression tactics, including, but not limited to gerrymandering. We have stood by and accepted bad Supreme Court decisions, most hauntingly the Citizens’ United case which has had the most negative impact imaginable on the democratic process.
As bystanders we have seen corruption and dishonesty in our public officials, but if they were on “our side” we turned our heads and looked away. We as voters have gone to the polls, uneducated on the policy stance of a candidate, except on the most hot button issues, people do not understand what a party’s driving principles are. The voter gets fired up, by some often manufactured issue, and so focused on said issue they disregard the whole package.
We have translated a familiarity, stemming from TV or movie fame, or notoriety, to being qualified to hold public office. Many highly qualified individuals of serious merit have been defeated in elections because they hadn’t acted on a TV show, or been the wife of a former president. We as voters need to investigate beyond the loudest and most stimulating advertising, and understand what each candidate stands for, and what they as individuals have done in past. There is a lot to be said regarding past history being a likely predictor of future behavior.
All I can say is that this country is coming to a moral and intellectual crossroads and I feel a Revolution is certainly possible. Five years ago, I would have rejected such a crazy thought. However, I am, like many others, seeing a pattern of political behavior from the Trump Administration that suggests they have no respect for our established governmental institutions and are intent on destroying government as we know it.
Calamity Politics is a progressive political blog where I address and comment on U.S. political shenanigans and bullshit.
Join the Resistance
Dar
