Politics

How many times have we wished our government (which doesn't really seem to be ours anymore) wasn't run by Washington bureaucrats indoctrinated by behind-the-scenes power players? They aren't doing anything that 'we the people' actually want done - or not done, as the case may be. How often have we lamented that no matter the results of a given election, the results of government is always, appallingly, the same? Wouldn't it be nice, we'd say, to have a regular person running for office rather than only the extremely wealthy and "well-backed" insiders who obviously have their own agenda, which isn't ours? Just once we'd like to vote for someone who was running for office because s/he had strong notions - similar to OUR notions - about making things better, instead of just strong personal ambition for power and money. Just once we'd like to actually vote FOR someone instead of against the absolute worst of two miserable candidates, neither of whom we could trust with a dime, or a principle.

(I can just hear Mark, in my head, asking "who's this 'we' you are talking about?" I always see myself as 'regular folk' and assume that everyone else I encounter in my life is 'regular' too but realize that this is really the crux of the problem here. Nevertheless, Mark, I will continue on my rant...)

I had a 'moment' when Gov. Palin burst on the scene. Suddenly there was somebody who wasn't so practiced at speaking with a forked tongue. She seemed like someone who was running for PTA president. Someone I could know (and, of course, that means 'regular.') But boy did our media/celebrity machine fight back. She's been ridiculed, upbraided and set up for failure (as in the different 'setting and style' of interviews for her, as opposed to the Washington insider crowd.) She's been patronized and dismissed. Criticized for not staying home to raise her kids. Blasted for blunders. And if that wasn't bad enough, she seems to have lost herself already. As the 'insiders' rush in to indoctrinate her she is becoming just like them. Already!

But I'm not really interested in specific candidates or issues here. I don't know if I'd vote for her or not - especially since it really isn't HER that we'd be voting for. That really isn't my point.

I'm just wondering if the dream most of us have - of this country getting back to what it should be - is hopeless. I think it might be. The requisite conditions for making that happen would seem to be that we'd have to start electing different people. But really. How could ANY person of intelligence, practicality, principle, compassion, strength, ethics, economic savvy and leadership ability - who is also in their right mind - even consider national public office at this point. If anyone dares to try, it appears that we will just squash them. We are so used to our media darlings telling us how to react, so sure that someone who isn't an 'insider' can't know anything or learn anything or bring anything to the table, so hopeless about making an impact, and so jaded about the possibility of new ideas being of value - or of old values being applicable - that we can't possibly actually elect a 'change' candidate.

I believe in 'experience' too - a big issue in this campaign with two completely inexperienced people involved. But I'm a bit confused about just what type of experience is needed any longer. Or how someone could get it without being someone I wouldn't want to elect. I don't know how a regular person can get foreign policy experience - or monetary policy experience. I don't think anyone can squeeze enough money out of people, in order to win an election, without owing those people something too-big-to-give in return after the election. But I certainly have seen that once someone HAS that experience in our government, they've turned into someone I wouldn't want to elect.

We are in a whole lot of trouble here. Most of us know that this isn't really the time for 'politics as usual.' There's a whole lot of very empty rhetoric out there about 'change.' But all I see is the same old stuff.

And I think I see why.