Some lessons people just never seem to learn. Take this statement written by the Apostle Paul nearly 2,000 years ago: "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me." (1 Corinthians 13:11 NIV) Can you think of any examples of adults behaving like children? Well, if you've watched or read nearly anything related to the upcoming election, then you know exactly what I'm talking about!
There were two main reasons our Founding Fathers wanted so much power to rest in the hands of individual voters: 1) because it was the best way to ensure against a dictator or tyrant from rising to power, and 2) because a well-informed electorate would ensure that those representing us would do a good job. Well, shame on US for failing in our end of that; but the shame is also shared by those politicians who see elected office as a means to their own power, and by a media that has become increasing docile and have failed in their duty to keep the voting public fully informed.
So, in a few days, We the People have our say. But what will we do with that choice? I've heard some say they are so sick of politics that they won't even bother to vote - to which I shake my head at their outright stupidity. If you don't like something, walking away and ignoring it will do nothing to change it! But the fact is, for far too many American voters, we don't even know who the candidates really are or what they stand for. We get a constant barrage of polling results and we see more news stories about these polls than do about the candidates and issues the polls are supposed to be about!
And in the absence of fact, we fall prey to the fiction that those vying for power are willing to tell if it helps their cause. Perhaps one of the biggest of these is the ongoing attempt to caste the nation's economic woes as a result of the George W. Bush administration. While you'll get little argument from me that he was a weak president who spent more than he should've, failed to make tough decisions when he needed to, and yet jumped too quickly to others - the fact remains that the economic collapse began during his presidency because it had been built on a shaky foundation leading up to that. It's almost laughable that Bill Clinton is now lauded for having such a strong economy when he left office - because that praise ignores that fact that much of that "strength" turned out to be built on flaky accounting practices and phantom bookkeeping. If THAT is the kind of economy that Barack Obama wants to restore then that should be troubling to everyone!
Then there's the notion that President Obama himself is now pitching - that the likely change to the political landscape that will happen this week is due to 'turbulant times'; ignoring that voter outrage and frustration is a direct response to his own agenda. To the contrary, Obama has repeatedly indicated that, even if Democrats lose control of both houses of Congress, he intends to continue to push the same extreme and aggressive agenda that has now set his party up for major losses in the mid-term election. If voters truly embraced what he was doing and genuinely supported a mandate for his brand of change, then his party and those who have loyally supported him would be celebrating the gains THEY would be making this year instead of trying to defend seats that traditionally have never needed defending.
But the biggest lie being perpetuated in these days leading up to the election is the notion that the economy is now solid and is now recovered - it's just going to take time for it to regain it's former strength. How any politician from the president on down could make this kind of statement with a straight face is beyond me. Seriously - by what criteria could any rational person say the economy is in recovery mode? The only possible way to do is to try to encapsulate data that supports this pre-conceived ideal, while ignoring the other data that would challenge it.
Yet this type of 'fingers in the ears' approach to governing is becoming far too much the status quo for the Obama Administration. When the public pushes back against his ideas, he sends his foot soldiers out to brand such outcry as extremist and unrepresentative of America. And even as he braces for the very likely loss of some who have been his most staunch supporters in Congress (Sen. Harry Reid), the president continues to talk defiantly about HIS agenda and the direction HE feels the country needs to continue to go. In other words, he is taking the exact approach to governing that our Founders wanted us to thwart by entrusting the power of the vote to each of us.
So, don't let this election day slip past you - make sure you let your voice be heard. Don't be a child and merely let things happen you don't like because you presume you can't make a difference - be an adult, recognize YOU are the source of the government's power, and YOU have the authority to call the shots. If you want to have more of a voice in the 'change' that comes than we seem to have had for the last two years, this is your moment to shine!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
As the 2010 Mid-Term Election Draws Near...
First off - watch out for the 'spin' that is taking place from both sides! When you see a report that seems to almost gleefully report that one side is up or the other is down, proceed with caution. Odds are that you're looking at one of two things: 1) It's actually an opinion or guest-written piece that looks like a news story, or 2) It's a story written by someone genuinely excited that the side they are supporting is doing well.
Second - no poll matters except the one on Election Day. And yet, the media seems downright determined to manipulate our collective thought process by conducting polls and then making the results of the polls the basis for what and how they report. Reality is, most polls are barely valid as the questions can be leading and the same questions asked at a different time of day would probably yield completely different results. But you don't hear that mentioned; nor do you hear that the broad and sweeping proclamations about how "the polls" are looking are often based on as few as 500 likely voters...
One thing polls don't measure well is indecisiveness. For example, the story AP-GfK Poll: One-third may still switch candidates makes it clear that a very significant group of voters is out there that no one is really talking about. Everything is focused on which party will control Congress - so it's all Republican versus Democrat. But what about those who, even if they are registered with a party, haven't fully decided who they will vote for? A lot of folks switched to Democrat two years ago to vote for either Obama or Hillary in the primaries - how sure can the Democrats be that those same switchers will still back Democratic local, state, and national candidates?
The real test of where the political landscape currently stands is best determined by watching how those who would stand to lose the most (whichever party is currently in power) are reacting. For example, after two years of unprecedented spending, President Obama is already indicating that he will likely focus on the deficit in the next two years. Compare his comments in these days before a mid-term election in which he is likely to lose several of his Capitol Hill supporters with those he made immediately following his election two years ago, and you see a president who is quickly attempting to rewrite some political history to lessen his own negative exposure for the next two years. Even as he hopes to retain his own party's majorities; President Obama is already posturing for reality if he loses one or both Houses of Congress.
But then there are also the mixed signals that GOP wins could mean cooperation or gridlock. Much like George W. Bush before him, Barack Obama came to DC saying he wanted to create a new tone of bi-partisanship. And yet, when it became clear to everyone that Republicans were not going to sign-off on much of the president's aggressive agenda, the decision was made to not only move forward without them - but in some cases to do procedural end-runs to cut them out entirely. So forceful and so divisive has this tactic been that, even in the face of a reversal in both majorities on Capitol Hill, the White House cannot see 'moving forward' without Democrat majorities.
If Democrats do see huge losses at the polls next week, only a fool would fail to see a connection between the Obama agenda that so many of them supported and these mid-term election losses. For the White House to indicate that they will still continue to push the same agenda as these past two years - even though voter dissatisfaction will have been loudly proclaimed - would seem to indicate that the President and/or his advisers are rapidly growing out of touch with the very citizens they are attempting to govern.
Second - no poll matters except the one on Election Day. And yet, the media seems downright determined to manipulate our collective thought process by conducting polls and then making the results of the polls the basis for what and how they report. Reality is, most polls are barely valid as the questions can be leading and the same questions asked at a different time of day would probably yield completely different results. But you don't hear that mentioned; nor do you hear that the broad and sweeping proclamations about how "the polls" are looking are often based on as few as 500 likely voters...
One thing polls don't measure well is indecisiveness. For example, the story AP-GfK Poll: One-third may still switch candidates makes it clear that a very significant group of voters is out there that no one is really talking about. Everything is focused on which party will control Congress - so it's all Republican versus Democrat. But what about those who, even if they are registered with a party, haven't fully decided who they will vote for? A lot of folks switched to Democrat two years ago to vote for either Obama or Hillary in the primaries - how sure can the Democrats be that those same switchers will still back Democratic local, state, and national candidates?
The real test of where the political landscape currently stands is best determined by watching how those who would stand to lose the most (whichever party is currently in power) are reacting. For example, after two years of unprecedented spending, President Obama is already indicating that he will likely focus on the deficit in the next two years. Compare his comments in these days before a mid-term election in which he is likely to lose several of his Capitol Hill supporters with those he made immediately following his election two years ago, and you see a president who is quickly attempting to rewrite some political history to lessen his own negative exposure for the next two years. Even as he hopes to retain his own party's majorities; President Obama is already posturing for reality if he loses one or both Houses of Congress.
But then there are also the mixed signals that GOP wins could mean cooperation or gridlock. Much like George W. Bush before him, Barack Obama came to DC saying he wanted to create a new tone of bi-partisanship. And yet, when it became clear to everyone that Republicans were not going to sign-off on much of the president's aggressive agenda, the decision was made to not only move forward without them - but in some cases to do procedural end-runs to cut them out entirely. So forceful and so divisive has this tactic been that, even in the face of a reversal in both majorities on Capitol Hill, the White House cannot see 'moving forward' without Democrat majorities.
If Democrats do see huge losses at the polls next week, only a fool would fail to see a connection between the Obama agenda that so many of them supported and these mid-term election losses. For the White House to indicate that they will still continue to push the same agenda as these past two years - even though voter dissatisfaction will have been loudly proclaimed - would seem to indicate that the President and/or his advisers are rapidly growing out of touch with the very citizens they are attempting to govern.
Taking It to the Virtual Streets!
My wife told me I was posting too much 'political stuff' to my Facebook page; potentially causing some of my Facebook friends to overlook my vital status updates about the weather and my joy at cleaning up the garage. Since we obviously can't have that, she has encouraged me to start a blog to share my thoughts on the 'news of the day'. And, actually, I'm quickly embracing the idea! (Chalk up another point for her being right yet again... LOL)
I'm not new to writing; I've been doing it pretty much my entire life. I enjoy sharing through the written word. That's why my initial career choice was as a journalist, in which I got paid to write! (Granted, I didn't get paid well to do it, but I digress.) My background also means that I understand how to interpret and critique what I read/hear, which is an important skill in our modern 24-hour cable 'news' media-driven society.
As I've 'matured' (I resist the notion that I've 'grown-up'), I've discovered that society around me seems increasingly oblivious to the events taking place right before our eyes - events that literally will shape our world today and potentially for generations to come. Yet there is more outrage over a pre-empted TV show than incompetence at the highest levels of government. Meanwhile the modern media, which should be the unofficial 4th pillar of government keeping us all literate and well-informed, seems more interested in determining news based upon polling data, advertising review, and sensational 'hooks' to snag readers/viewers. Is it any wonder that some choose to tune it all out?
In talking with folks, I've learned that the most commonly cited for them not being more 'aware' is simply that they "just didn't have the time to keep up on so much stuff." Often this was followed by detailed listing of all of the things the person has to keep track of in their personal, professional, and community lives. And that's where the name of this blog was born; because ultimately it's not a question of how much you may want to know about things, it's a matter of how many things are Competing for Your Attention!
So - my goal with this blog is simply to share information that you may have overlooked. While I do lean a bit to the Conservative end of the spectrum, I think you'll find that my commentary on the issues presented here is less about a specific ideology or political party and more about what should be common sense in our government and our society. The items I choose to share and the comments that I make are intended to spark thinking and provoke conversation - so please be sure to feel free to share your thoughts, too!
Let the blogging begin!
-Paul
I'm not new to writing; I've been doing it pretty much my entire life. I enjoy sharing through the written word. That's why my initial career choice was as a journalist, in which I got paid to write! (Granted, I didn't get paid well to do it, but I digress.) My background also means that I understand how to interpret and critique what I read/hear, which is an important skill in our modern 24-hour cable 'news' media-driven society.
As I've 'matured' (I resist the notion that I've 'grown-up'), I've discovered that society around me seems increasingly oblivious to the events taking place right before our eyes - events that literally will shape our world today and potentially for generations to come. Yet there is more outrage over a pre-empted TV show than incompetence at the highest levels of government. Meanwhile the modern media, which should be the unofficial 4th pillar of government keeping us all literate and well-informed, seems more interested in determining news based upon polling data, advertising review, and sensational 'hooks' to snag readers/viewers. Is it any wonder that some choose to tune it all out?
In talking with folks, I've learned that the most commonly cited for them not being more 'aware' is simply that they "just didn't have the time to keep up on so much stuff." Often this was followed by detailed listing of all of the things the person has to keep track of in their personal, professional, and community lives. And that's where the name of this blog was born; because ultimately it's not a question of how much you may want to know about things, it's a matter of how many things are Competing for Your Attention!
So - my goal with this blog is simply to share information that you may have overlooked. While I do lean a bit to the Conservative end of the spectrum, I think you'll find that my commentary on the issues presented here is less about a specific ideology or political party and more about what should be common sense in our government and our society. The items I choose to share and the comments that I make are intended to spark thinking and provoke conversation - so please be sure to feel free to share your thoughts, too!
Let the blogging begin!
-Paul
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