Very Few Politicians Deserve Our Vote

In every election cycle, a minority of voters are truly excited about either a specific candidate or position, and the vast majority are disillusioned. In the past, mobilizing issues have included support or opposition to a war (for example, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.), the economy, employment, or some specific "hot button" issue. Generally, candidates and parties that are out of power blame the incumbents for all the ills and problems, while incumbents try to demonstrate why they have acted how they have, its success or potential, the alternatives, etc. Most election campaigns in recent years have deteriorated into a name-calling, blaming, anti- something campaign, with the rhetoric far outpacing the actual ideas.

It really doesn't matter if the politician is a Democrat or Republican, Conservative or Liberal, Independent or Tea Party. Unfortunately, most politicians will say almost anything to get elect, distort or only partially explain their position, state the opponent's position in the poorest of lights, employ scare tactics, etc. Rarely do these politicians propose real alternatives, instead complaining about what's wrong, while rarely saying how they would fix it. Even when most of these candidates state a "plan," it is generally either incomplete or unworkable, or has little chance of getting voted into law. It is always easier to complain about something than to fix it.

The late Senator Charles Goodell said, "Politicians are like antelopes. When things get touch, they paint their behinds white, and run with the herd." Senator Goodell discovered in his two years in the United States Senate, where he proposed and sponsored more legislation and major legislation than most senators do in twenty years, that simply working hard and doing the right thing, does not get you elected. Elections have deteriorated into hype and popularity, rarely discussing anything of consequence. Candidates make many promises, most of them empty. Unfortunately, the vast majority of candidates who are elected, continue to behave as candidates, when they should morph into statesmen.

Many of candidate Obama's most ardent and fervent supporters have become disillusioned that President Obama has not met their lofty expectations. Several years ago, many of the Independent candidate Ross Perot merely supported Perot as some sort of protest. Similarly, one must wonder how supporters and members of the Tea Party will react and feel when their candidates are simply more of the same, and they don't keep their promises, either. It is easy, and generally popular, to blame incumbents during bad economic times, and it is almost always popular to oppose any type of taxes. Yet, as New York Governor Patterson has discovered, in attempting to balance the New York State budget (an almost impossible task during these economic times) that every time he recommended cutting funds to anything, whether State support to education, funding roads, subsidizing hospitals, etc., that some group or groups steadfastly opposed these cuts. Many of us suffer from "NIMBY" (not in my backyard), and while we speak loudly and protest deficits and taxes, we do not have viable alternatives or solutions.

It is almost humorous, if it wasn't so pitiful, that we keep hearing about the apathy of the American voter. However, maybe, if our politicians stopped their partisan bickering, stopped electioneering, and stopped party politics, and acted more like statesmen, and did what was both necessary and right, people would feel that their vote mattered. Until that occurs, our political system will continue to simply be a club, and a club for the increasingly wealthy.