I’m not sure on the word “angry,” because that has all kinds of connotations, but I’m certainly somewhere between frustrated and angry. And definitely planning to vote, although I’m not at all optimistic that either major party is going to put forth candidates that I really want to get behind.
The leads sort of says it all:
The party in power often suffers in midterm elections, but a recent survey suggests that “epic” discontent has created an angry and energized electorate.
And while things might look bleak for Democrats who control Congress, some Republicans tied to the establishment might also suffer the consequences.
I certainly hope the bad politicians on both sides feel the consequences. We really need a legitimate third party, or at least better candidates no matter what party they’re in.
Twitter has been a waste for the past 18 hours or so. Republicans are crying and Democrats are gloating, but to me both sides come out looking bad because politics and government shouldn’t be about one side winning and the other side losing.
It seems to me that politics in the US has become just another sport. It’s us vs. them. One side tries to “push through” its bills and pet projects, just like an NFL team tries to push through at the goal line and score a TD. The other side tries delay tactics, like an NFL team calling time out right before a game-deciding kick or a baseball manager going out to the mound to slow down an opponent’s rally. Both sides use the media to advance their own agendas and spin things for their own good. And the public laps it all up on their cable TV channel of choice, like rabid animals desperate for confirmation that they’re rooting for the Good Guys and the other team is Pure, Unadulterated Evil.
Meanwhile, there’s not a whole lot of leadership and governing going on, is there?
If it were up to me, we’d toss out the president and every member of both houses of Congress. Tomorrow. And we’d start from scratch with people who want to lead a country, not people who want to win an election. We’d limit the amount of time they’re allowed to spend on TV, radio, and talking to the press. We’d limit how much time they can spend trying to get re-elected. We’d require them to vote against their own party at least 25% of the time. We’d force them to focus on being leaders, and do whatever it takes to get them to stop being politicians.
I don’t know if the Health Care Reform bill is Good or Bad, but like everything else that comes from government, I suspect it’s got some of both. I was just reading this article, and I like this part here about the changes that are coming in 2014:
Insurers will be required to take all applicants. They won’t be able to turn down people in poor health, or charge them more.
States will set up new insurance supermarkets for small businesses and people buying their own coverage, pooling together to get the kind of purchasing clout government workers have now.
In the two years that I’ve been buying health insurance on my own for the McGee family, our premium has gone up 24.4%. That’s ridiculous. I love the idea of being able to pool together with other individuals to get better rates.
On the other hand, back to the real topic of this post: leadership. I understand that this bill doesn’t cover the president or members of Congress, all of whom will continue to enjoy an apparently much better health plan than the one they just voted for the rest of us to get. What does that say about how great the bill is? More than that, what does it say about how broken our system of government is that the people deciding things like this aren’t affected by their decisions?
No. Reform and change will only happen when we have more leaders in Washington, DC, and fewer politicians.
Ron Paul makes the case that liberals supporting Obama’s position on Iraq/Afghanistan/Pakistan is like conversatives supporting Bush’s expansion of government spending.
“Sometimes we have to stand up for what is right and not be so narrow-minded in our partisanship.”
One of the crosses you carry as a U2 fan is the fact that, at any moment in time, Bono might do something really, really, really embarrassing. Like this, from today’s Oprah show:
I really wish someone would tell him “no” once in a while. Or maybe just say, “Hey. Y’know, this thing bleeds syrup and is just a really bad song. If you do this, it’ll sit right next to that ‘New Day’ thing you did in ‘99 with Wyclef as the low point of your career.”
And jeez, did we elect a man, or did we elect a messiah? Goodness. Just watch — 3 years from now when we still have a gazillion-dollar national debt, the disciples will start in about how the expectations were unrealistic, and too much. And I’ll just point out this video and say, Who’s fault was that?
I’m a fan of presidential inaugurations. I think the pageantry is a great part of our heritage, and even asked at home last week why the kids didn’t have a day off from school on Tuesday so they could watch how our country operates on TV. No matter who’s taking office, I think that’s the kind of thing kids oughtta be able to see.
Then just now, I was reading this article on Politico, and started having second thoughts. Not about the pageantry and the value for kids to see an inauguration, but about the timing and circumstance of this particular inauguration. Consider:
If Obama were “serious” about changing Washington, DeLay said, “He would announce to the world: ‘We are in crisis, we are at war, people are losing jobs; we are not going to have this party. Instead, I’m going to get sworn in at the White House. I’m going to have a nice little chicken dinner, and we’ll save the $125 million.’”
Frankly, he has a point. Do we need all the excess at this point?
Our new president will likely soon sign the biggest financial swindle ever put over by the US government on its people. If you want to know where your money is going, you may want to
It’s searchable, too. Type in “highway” or “bridge” or whatever floats your boat and see what they’re spending money on. Also interesting to see the “most comments” section for what other people are talking about.
Bailout: I hate it. I think it’s a terrible idea. When the problem is too many loans, too many bad loans, too many loans that can’t be paid back, etc., the last thing the government should be doing is giving money to banks so they can keep making loans. We don’t need more loans, we need less; and we need more savings.
Below is a video by an economic guy named Peter Schiff. I don’t know much about him, but I like what I know. Here’s a long video of him that apparently includes clips from 2006 and 2007. I’ve only watched the very first quote he gives (goes up to the 1:15 mark or so), and he is spot on:
“Sometimes medicine tastes bad, but you gotta swallow it.” Agreed.
Schiff, by the way, was an economic adviser to Ron Paul during this year’s campaign.
I had no idea, but it’s apparently true that U.S. presidents aren’t allowed to send email. Lifehacker has an article about how Barack Obama is being forced to give up his Blackberry for security reasons:
President-elect Barack Obama will have to give up the BlackBerry that he’s had literally by his side (clipped to his belt, a surprising fashion faux pas by the normally quite fashionable candidate). Because of security concerns, the chief executive is not allowed to send emails.
The article also links to a New York Times blog post in which President Bush talks about wanting to start using email again when he’s out of office.
Amazing. I had no idea. But I suppose it makes sense.
Now if only we could get all those Nigerian princes to stop sending email…..
I did not vote for Obama. I also did not vote for McCain. I’m not overly thrilled nor disappointed with the results last night. I think it’s fantastic that the country will finally have an African-American president, even if Obama isn’t the one I’d have preferred to become the first. I’m very happy for my Obama-supporting friends and for all Obama supporters, in fact, who are filled with hope and elation today. (After listening to them belly-ache for the past 6 years, I’m glad they’re in a better mood finally.)
I think Obama is probably the Democratic Party’s version of Ronald Reagan: Completely inexperienced, but a born leader; a highly skilled communicator and motivator of people, incredibly polished on the outside (some say too polished/slick, and they may turn out to be right), and a politician who came along at the right time: when just about the entire country considered the incumbent a failure. If Obama follows through on his mostly centrist campaign promises, and if the Congress lets him stay in the center, I think we’ll be fine.
The only thing that scares me about Obama is his followers. Well, some of them. I’m a big fan of hope, but it’s not healthy when people are breaking into tears and passing out when a politician walks into a room. Obama’s events were often like The Beatles first time in the U.S. There’s a portion of Obama-nation that seems to equate him with the second coming of Jesus Christ, and that’s scary. (I did, in fact, read one quote online last night where an Obama supporter said, “He’s our Moses.”)
Our government works best when citizens take a critical, evaluative role in the process. It’s our duty to examine everything our government proposes. Respect authority, but question it. When I watch Obama rallies on TV, I see plenty of the former, but I don’t see a lot of people capable of the latter. I hope I’m wrong.
(Note: This is not posted because I think you care how I feel about politics. It’s not posted to get a political debate going. It’s posted for my own benefit, so that I have a record of what’s running through my mind during what everyone seems to be describing as a “new era” for the country. We’ll see.)
I know I’m supposed to appreciate and respect the fact that, in America, anyone can run for political office. That’s one of the basic freedoms we share, and one of the great things about our democratic system.
But … it also means you end up with some real freaking lunatics on the ballot when you’re still in the primaries.
You’ve heard of the “Dream Team,” right? Well, in Washington, we could end up with the “Nightmare Team.” Depending on how things go in this month’s primary and then in the general election, here’s a look at who might end up running the state for the next few years:
Governor
One candidate proposes to force Boeing to convert from aircraft production into a company that produces solar and wind power equipment. This same candidate also wants to ban single-occupant vehicles (except in places where there’s no public transportation).
Another candidate proposes helping the economy by encouraging construction of homes made of strawbale, wood, and clay. (Those homes would be cheaper, the candidate says, and we wouldn’t have such mortgage problems like we have now.)
Another candidate lists as his “elected experience” the fact that he’s served nine years on the board of directors of a national hotel chain.
That’s better than another candidate, whose sole elected experience is being voted Treasurer at his local Moose Lodge.
A fifth candidate lists as his significant career experience the fact that he’s created an “air engine” that can power cars, and will let us stop relying on fossil fuels while ending global warming.
And those are the more normal options. The winner of this competition is a candidate who:
believes that a pro-Israeli faction forced the U.S. to start the war in Iraq. The actual quote from his platform is: “AIPAC and other Jewish Zionist Lobbies who represent less than 2% of American People are using the United States through their mighty power in the News Media, Financial Institutions, Hollywood and Entertainment Industry, Both Political Parties, Congress and the White House as Proxy to wage war against any country perceived to be threat to Israel, like in Iraq.”
wants to amend the Constitution so that state governments, not Congress, vote on when we go to war
Superintendent of Schools
It’s possible that this office could be in the hands of a gentleman whose Candidate Statement begins with the exhortation, Viva Chavez! Yes, as in Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. He goes on to accuse the media of lying, and says “we’re at war with our own government” and with corporate America. Oh, and he calls Bill Gates a “software terrorist.”
U.S. Congress, District 4
This is my local district. One of the candidates believes an across-the-board 10% income tax will fund all levels of government. He wants the Federal, State, and Local governments to each receive 3.33% of that 10% tax … as if funding a military costs the same as cleaning up the park down the street from me.
Legislative District 16
One of the candidates lists “Poker pro” as his occupation.
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So there you have it. Should be an interesting primary, and with the way people on the other side of the mountains often vote, it could be an interesting general election, too!
Welcome to my home away from home on the Interwebz. When I'm not here, you might find me on Twitter (@mattmcgee), Flickr, StumbleUpon, or maybe even Yahoo! Answers. I'm a big sports and music fan. I watch LOST religiously. I love big, juicy cheeseburgers, and ice cream. With M&Ms. The ice cream that is, not the cheeseburgers.
