Is It Schizophrenia Or Politics? I Confess It's Both
Originally posted at
Bless me, Patrick Henry, for I have sinned. I consider myself somewhat intelligent. And I keep asking myself why have I become politically schizophrenic? I was once a very staunch Republican. That was in the days of Ronald Reagan. Once he was gone, it’s almost like the false security Reagan provided was ripped out from under me. Oh, I know, the Reagan worshipers will swear that were it not for Ronnie communism would be thriving in Eastern Europe. Perhaps it would. Of course, to take any credit away from John Paul II and Mikhail Gorbachev is to ignore the reality of history. But that’s a debate for another day. The bottom line is that I’ve got to stop looking at the political leaders of days past and concentrate on what’s going on today. Frankly, I’ve been torn in so many directions that I wonder if I can cast a vote in November based on a reasonable assessment of issues.
Last week I watched the Democrats in Denver anoint Barack Obama. There’s no doubt about it. Regardless of political party affiliation there’s something to be said for a major political party nominating a black man to the Oval Office. We’ve come along way, but like everything else, I get the feeling that it’s all fluff. Politicians appeal to us with catch phrases and sound clips. While the liberals complain about the Fox News Channel and its tribe of uber-conservatives, what about MSNBC? Until this weekend I was an avowed MSNBC fan. But the apparent love affair between MSNBC personalities and the Obama campaign has left me with a sour taste. I’d give anything for Tim Russert to be here. I honestly believe that he would have tempered that love fest. So, of the big three cable news channels that leaves CNN. Fair and balanced? Sometimes. Honest news broadcasting? Not a chance. No major news organization operates on the basic principles of a free and objective press. What was the point of our forefathers fighting for freedom? What was the point of John Peter Zenger? Are these United States the last best bastion of freedom? Ultimately, can a society be “free” when those upon whom we depend for information have advertisers and ratings dictating every report?
This week the Republicans are anointing John McCain. There’s no doubt in my mind that the Republican Party’s embrace of him is weak at best. And this concerns me as well. There was a time when John McCain represented the rank and file in America. He was the maverick. He was a singular voice for change in Congress. Then he ran for President and became a victim of the ultra-right Bush whackers, especially in South Carolina. And what did he do? He rolled over, plain and simple. He entered into a marriage contract with George W. Bush that left us all holding an empty bag. There’s a part of me that holds on to the belief that John McCain still has a few of those “maverick” qualities. But, to be blunt, it would be too little, and way too late for the old McCain to resurface. Everyone has their price and McCain paid it when he executed this alliance with the Bush White House. Once again, Middle America loses.
So, what’s an “intelligent” voter to do? In looking beyond the Presidential candidates we have two very capable individuals. On the Democrat side we have Joe Biden. He’s a brilliant politician. Seems like a nice guy. But he’s been part of the Washington establishment for too long. Would he facilitate change in Congress? I’d doubt it. You see we Americans throw all our hopes and dreams on the person running for President and forget that members of Congress are the ultimate harbingers of our future. (I like using big words because it causes some people to have to look them up and understand their meaning.) Congress has approval ratings that are lower than those of George W. Bush. Yet we return these same people to office time and time again. They’re the smart ones, folks. They have the power in Washington. They throw a few bucks into key Congressional Districts just to retain it. And the press has been an all knowing accomplice in the fleecing of America. On the other side we have Sarah Palin. I’ll admit it. I like her. I respect the choices she’s made. Has she had enough training to be President? Well, like it or not, when it comes to Executive experience Sarah Palin is the ONLY candidate with executive credentials. But beyond that, she’s a mother of 5. She’s a “soccer mom”. I know she’s a conservative but one can’t help but wonder if her approach to life is the result of pragmatic decisions which face working mothers all across this land.
This morning I went to the local store for my usual three newspapers, cup of stale coffee and pack of cigarettes. Oh, go ahead, slap my behind for being a smoker. I guess I need to teach a history lesson on the fact that this country was built on the backs of slaves and share croppers working on tobacco farms. America’s first cash crop made it very rich but now, God forbid, if you smoke you might as well be a member of the Church of Satan. Anyway, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to digress. All I saw on the rack were magazine covers with the Obama clan splashed everywhere. Oh, and Barack isn’t a rock star? Give me a break. On the other side were newspapers with the tragedy of Bristol Palin and her “scandalous” pregnancy. Obama says that the children of the candidates should be off limits. He talks the talk but his henchmen behind the scenes are feeding the media frenzy like there’s no tomorrow. Sorry, Barry, you can’t have it both ways. If you wonder why I refer to him as “Barry” why not ask those he attended university with? He’s right. The children should be off limits. While the far right can cry foul all the way to Election Day, the bottom line is they are getting their own brand of justice. Since Ronald Reagan left office the far right has had a grand old time tearing down every liberal Democrat it could find. They paralyzed this nation in their relentless drive to destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton. They’ve squandered the mandate given them in their Contract with America. Were it Joe Biden’s 17-year old daughter who was pregnant, we all can be assured that the far right would have that girl front and center in the political debate.
So what’s a disgruntled political junkie to do? Inasmuch as I want to see a level political playing field where there can be free, open debates devoid of character assassination, I just don’t see it happening. We’re a divided country. And as much as some would have you believe that we are divided along racial lines, don’t be so foolish to accept that notion. We’ve got a gender divide that is far more harmful. If I cast my ballot in an informed manner, I would be writing in Ron Paul or Dave Nalle. But they tell me that’s a “wasted” vote. I’d vote for Obama but I won’t and it’s strictly personal. I always felt that in politics, a person rises through the ranks. This was Hillary’s turn. She earned a spot on Obama’s ticket. But Obama was too much of a “man” to see beyond the gender divide. He says he’s not like that but based upon his acceptance speech last week, I just don’t believe him. He made a lot of promises. They were great sound bites and it was great television – for a rock star. But when digging through the vision he presented there was one thing he forgot to tell us – Congress has the ultimate say on anything he tries to do. And, if we all would step back and think about it, we’re to blame. We keep putting the guy from our neighborhood back into Congress. Then the lobbyists wine and dine them. Political deals are made at “events” with big corporations. It’s been going on behind the scenes at both conventions.
I once believed that a President McCain would deliver on his vow for real election reform. He can’t. I believed that President John McCain would be our hero and put the American family first above lobbyists. No President can. Then I remembered how much I believed in Ronald Reagan and his vision of America’s promise. Such great ideals. Sad thing is I now have to admit that Ronald Reagan’s romantic vision of his America is just as flawed as my own. It’s such a bitter pill to swallow. We can’t blame the politicians. We put them there. We can’t blame the press, we buy their advertisers products and we like sensationalism. We could blame ourselves but we’ve not been taught accountability in our public schools. In the end, I guess it comes down to education. Kids today don’t appreciate the lessons of history because they don’t know them. For all the so-called education reforms made by the Bush Administration, we’re still one big, fat, stupid bunch of people. As a matter of fact, sometimes I think the only thing we do right is reproduce. Dear God, maybe we better leave sex education out of the curriculum!
