Watching the debates and the presidential candidates in general shows me that we’ll, once again, end up having to choose between a couple of people who we think we know.
I have to say, the refreshing part about Sanders, Trump and Fiorina is that they aren’t career politicians or insiders just trying to put the final icing on their political cake. While I don’t agree with a good part of their politics, I believe more and more we all end up voting on what we hope will happen if that candidate gets in. You just put a check by a name on that ballot and keep your fingers crossed that they can grab the wheel and steer our country in the right direction.
Sanders wants to socialize America. I’ll be honest, I’m not as afraid of that word as I once was, but the practicality of it in the U.S. seems unlikely. I remember John Kennedy had this crazy idea of putting a man on the moon by the end of that decade, which was as much a dream as it was a challenge to America. And, we came through. Yet, to be honest—having a national government-run anything the size of our country is asking for problems. Point in case—the U.S. Postal service, which announced this week they’ve lost money again for the 7th year in a row. We’re spending trillions of dollars we don’t have, our postal service loses money and we want it to run medical care in the U.S.?
Hey, if we were a Scandinavian country with 7-million people or so, not only possible, but happening. But 320-million people and growing daily? Do you really think that’s a good idea? Or, you just want it to punish the current non-working system and hope it ends up to the good?
Now, on the other side, Trump and Fiorina say they want to run the country better, like a business. I agree with that in principle, because there are way too many back-scratching deals and tagged-on pet projects that have become of our broken system. I’ve long felt our country, our state and yes, even the city of Seattle, should have to undergo an audit. Here’s what we have in revenue, here’s everything we’re currently spending. OK, those don’t match. Let’s get rid of the extra’s and put them in a “when things get better” pile and when we have the money, they’ll go back in. But no spending what we don’t have except in the case of a declared war.
It’s also been clearly demonstrated to us that no matter how much “hope and change” is promised, that’s a slogan and a vague dream, not a deliverable. A successful marketing catch phrase, just like “Just do it” that compels people to think spending $250 on a pair of running shoes is cool. Our elected president does become the C.E.O. of the company, but it’s a company with two boards that need to be on your side—the House and the Senate. And then, a third board—the Supreme Court—that just might undo everything you had in mind to fit their standards.
Getting back to “hope and change”, while I was hoping for the economy to improve, I was hoping it would change a lot more. We’ve recovered from the economic crash, but we’re far from healed. This is where the two-party filter kicks in for most people.
If you’re a Democrat, you’ll view what Obama has done over the past 6+ years as wonderful, far from where we were, a better place. If you’re a Republican, you don’t like the social direction he’s taken the country and are quick to point out the size of that national debt.
And that’s a great example of why I’m in the middle and refuse to associate with either party. I think, socially, we’ve evolved a long way. Abortion, gay rights, and legalization of marijuana…we’ve advanced our thinking. Remember Republicans, you’re all about defending personal rights which is why Lincoln signed that Emancipation Proclamation. Let me take you back to the Garden of Eden, where God didn’t lay down a bunch of rules. Just one and that was ignored. Now, what makes you think that any of the afore-mentioned sensitive topics should come with rules because of your religious beliefs? No one is legislated to have an abortion, or to smoke pot or to be gay. It’s about rights, just like back in that garden.
And if you go all Bible-thumping Christian on me, the good book says you can’t save someone else’s soul. Only they can do that. So, if what they are doing is wrong, then God will take care of it in the end, right?
By the way, for the record, I’m a Christian. More the “it’s the spiritual part of my life” not the “because the church I belong to believes this, you’re all going to hell” variety.
We’re all being asked to evolve from our current comfort zone to what’s next. The world will keep changing, not always to our liking, but it’s smart to adjust to the times, while maintaining our personal standards. It helps you grow.
What it doesn’t do is help us find a presidential candidate who actually reflects the way we feel. Right now, there’s a whole herd of politico’s that I agree with here, but not there. That speak my language on one topic but alienate me on another.
So, I’ll just watch the process, then, once again, have to decide on the lesser of two evils, cast my ballot and hope it’s all for the better.
But then again, that’s the American Way.
Tim Hunter