Life in These "United" States

I registered to vote in 2004 during the Gore/Bush election (I picked a great one to get involved in politics).  It's hard wrapping your head around the fact that your vote matters, and I guess that was a good one (being such a close race) to learn that lesson.  Still, I'm not sure if the aggravation, frustration and high blood pressure is worth the feeling of being involved and doing my part.

In recent elections, it seems like the process is so out of control.  It's maddening when you think of all the wasted money on the campaigns, between the mailers and ads (mostly negative) and the campaign trail costs.  It's obvious that the whole process is broken and should be regulated.  I like the debates and the town hall meetings, but the rest of it seems ineffective.  I totally block out ads on TV, especially negative ones.  I honestly don't trust anything I hear, which means that you really can't make intelligent choices.  Even when it gets down to a politician's choices (like on a particular vote), there's so much that goes into it behind the scenes that it's never black and white.

I am a registered Democrat and have been described as a bleeding-heart liberal, meaning that I am always concerned with every single person in an issue, being overly sympathetic.  I try to see all sides of an issue (the Gemini in me) and not put my perspective or needs first in a situation.  I never was a selfish person, so I have a hard time understanding the perspective of most Republicans, with so much concern over their own financial situation and what they're going to get out of a situation.  Most times, it almost seems like they'd screw anyone to keep everyone else down (civil rights, healthcare, welfare, social security, medicare, environment, social services).  The funny thing is how when they are in need of help, they have no problem using it (evidenced by a poll outside of a Rand Paul rally in KY, where most of the supporters were the elderly, riding out on their scooters paid entirely by Medicare after they just chanted 'down with government spending'), which is where the hypocrisy comes into play.

The party seems to use fear to excite panic into the members (with the stereotype of them mostly clutching their guns in one hand and the bible in the other), and most of which are either the wealthy or the poor.  It kind of makes me think of how the same group of down-trodden individuals shops at Wal-Mart, after the giant retailer put the small company they used to work for or own out of business with unfair competition and price squeezing small manufacturers.  This 'pied piper' mentality is utilized at the polls, it seems.  The Republicans seem to get them to vote solely with the fear of the loss of their guns, free-roaming homosexuals and higher taxes.  It was Ronald Reagan who started the demise of the middle class, and other than votes, Republicans don't seem to have much use for the common man, in fact, mostly everything they are for is against the common man, especially when he is down and out.  Sadly, the common man doesn't see that.  And while this isn't necessarily a Republican-bashing post, I'm just trying to understand the mentality of all parties involved.  It's hard to make sweeping generalities, but the extremists on both sides always are the bad apples that ruin the bunch.  At the end of the day, I am proud to look myself in the mirror at who I am and what I stand for... not saying that it's better than anyone else.  I am always open to hearing another point of view, but be ready to talk about it and not run when the shit gets deep.  It's time for the Republicans to put up or shut up.  Likewise with the people who didn't vote in this election.

Since President Obama took over the mess that this country is in, all he has gotten has been opposition.  It's convenient for the Republicans to forget that it was under their watch that the country went to pot.  And for them, and the Democrats as well lately, to be disgruntled by what they see as no progress (although facts point to the contrary), is just an example of how we as Americans are so impatient and have a 'give it to me now' mentality.  Surely, a person in their right mind would understand that 8 years of fuck ups is going to take more than 18 months to fix.  Surely, that person would check out the facts rather than the propoganda fed to them by a political pundit trying to sell a book or enticing fear for monetary gain (Rush Limbaugh makes $58 million a year, Glenn Beck $33 million, Sean Hannity $22 million).  Surely these people can think for themselves... or do they go from inside the church straight home to Fox News?  Think for yourselves.

Now that the elections are over, it is clear that Americans are sick of the status quo.  They want to see change, mostly in the system.  They are sick of the bickering.  They are sick of butting heads and not getting anything solved.  The results of the elections are not the blood baths that everyone expected.  And while it's unclear of how things are going to pan out with the Republicans getting the majority over the house and not the senate, it will remain to be seen if we can get anything accomplished in Washington, or will it finally come to a meeting of the minds to do what's good for the country.  The Republicans have been talking about what they want to get accomplished... and now is the time for them to deliver.  Without a strong Republican candidate for the 2012 election,  we may be able to get things accomplished, but if they find someone, they will spend all of their time keeping the president down to promote their person.  There's a record that when Republicans have the power of subpoena they go after a president, but there's also a record in the recent past where a few presidents (Truman, Eisenhower and Clinton) were met with opposition in mid-term elections and went on to a second term, so who knows what will happen. 

I am proud of my president... he is a good man with good morals... is caring and isn't out for personal gain.  Knowing that he probably only had 2 years to get things done, I believe that he tried to accomplish all that he could.  It's my job as an American to support my president, and I do.  He talked a lot about hope and change (and I believe he is delivering, however the speed)...  and I have have had more hope in two years than the 8 Bush years where I wanted to leave the country and move somewhere else.

The damage is done now.  The 'slaughter' is over.  All you can do now is laugh, otherwise, you'll spend all day crying.