Party Politics

Party Politics

Melissa Dallago

The conventions are finished, the balloons have fallen, and the delegates have gone home.  The parties have chosen their candidate for the final phase of this election year.  I would like to pause for a moment as we sit on the cusp between the after-party glow and the upcoming debates and campaigning to reflect on what America really stands for.

During the conventions we listened as the Republics touted and preached about fiscal responsibility, downsizing government, and blaming Democrats for all of our problems.  In turn, the Democrats responded with beating their hope and change drums, reminding us of the wonderful job that Obama has done during his first term, and how he should be given the opportunity to finish the job he started, and blaming Republicans for standing in the way.

In my opinion, Romney and Ryan are typical poster children for the GOP; successful business men who have heard the higher calling of politics and want to help out their fellow citizens.  Obama and Biden are cut from the same cloth.  All four candidates have long standing ties with the political game.   I will grant that Obama has a slight edge because he could woo the birds out of the trees with his oratory skills and rhetorical acumen, but his record speaks for itself, and Biden is just a buffoon.  Alternatively, Romney doesn't seem to have true integrity or honesty, and Ryan strikes me as just plain devious and untrustworthy.  I personally do not trust any of these men to run our country.

I will be candid, since Obama has been elected I have sat on the sidelines of politics because I lost hope in my country.  I was disgusted with what our government was doing.  I hated the policies they were putting forth.  I strongly disagreed with how our politicians were carrying out the business of our government.  I despised the in-fighting, the name calling, the lack of progress and the overall idiocy that infected what is supposed to represent the very best of our citizenry.  The media certainly did not help matters by inflaming any misstep, misquote and it raised the sound bite to an art form.  I walked away from this because I was tired of it all.  I felt like I had no voice, and that my vote didn’t count.  These past three years have been quiet for me, but I can feel my engines slowly starting to rev up with the upcoming elections, and the fact that this is an opportunity to start changing these continuing problems. 

The democrats and republicans are both snake oil salesman trying to sell their product and trying to convince you to drink their Kool-Aid.  They are both excellent at rebranding the same old arguments and policies in shiny new wrappings with a slick slogan and the media feeds right into this; and so do we.  The parties and politicians are so polarized that it has affected every aspect of our government and our country.

I am sick and tired of this, and I know my fellow citizens are as well.  I know we are all extremely angry at where our country now sits.  I know that we are feeling uninspired and don’t believe there is any hope or change that can get our country out of this mess. 

We need to refocus on what is important and what can make America a great country yet again.  We need to use common sense in dealing with our private lives, our communities, our states and ultimately our country.  We need to remember and live the ideals of perseverance, honesty, hard work, personal responsibility and follow the Golden Rule.  These are the principals that made up our country and we have lost them along the way. 

Party politics certainly doesn’t provide a shining example of these ideals.  They have resorted to pointing fingers and blaming everyone else for the ills that the country is experiencing.  In turn, we point fingers, and more likely than not just flat out ignore the ongoing struggle and nonsense.  The fault for what has happened to the country lies with all of us.  It lies with me, it lies with you, it lies with my neighbor, it lies with the mayor, it lies with the senators and representatives, it lies with the judges and it lies with the Presidents, and I’m not just referring to Obama.

My proposal for attempting to begin the process of reclaiming our nation is to stop relying on the old formulas that have been tried and failed and to begin anew.  We must change our sentiments.  We must wake up to the real trouble that our country is facing; economic turmoil, unemployment, healthcare, and the future of our children to name just a few.

We must demand that politicians assume responsibility for their mistakes; just as we need to assume responsibility for our own.  We must hold ourselves and our politicians accountable.  We must reclaim honesty, common sense, fair dealing and integrity.  These values are what make our country great!  These values further make us great individuals.  

Instead of tolerating the finger pointing, name calling and muck-racking of the politicians, we should stand with our families, our communities, our fellow citizens and demand in one loud, strong voice that Washington change its tactics.  We must demand that people remember where we have come from, what we have been through and most importantly remind them there is hope, and we can change the path that we were on; if only we stand together, be smart, be fiscally conservative, pay off debts, beautify our homes and neighborhoods, help your neighbors and those in need, help yourself and your community to be better individuals and to be reach for the best that is within us.   Instead of trickling down, this change needs to trickle up from the each of us individually to the population as a whole.

This election cycle should not be about Republicans and Democrats attacking each other, and trying to lure us into the fold by telling us what they think we want to hear.  This election should not be about name calling and comparing the size of each other’s physiques.  Instead, we need to focus on the content of their characters, their ideals, their values, and most importantly demand that they provide us with a clear, concise and practical plan for how to fix the economy, what policies they will put in place for healthcare, and what they intend to do about the country’s crushing debts. 

I am calling for an end of the smoke and mirrors of politics.  I’m tired of seeing the frustration on my fellow citizens’ faces.  So let’s stand together, get our houses in order, help our neighbors and be the best that we can be. We must also demand that the politicians in Washington do the same.  United we stand, and actions will always speak louder than words.