It Is More Than Just Politics In 2020
D. S. Mitchell
The Blogosphere
Writing for Calamity News and Politics gives me a platform to discuss headline events and political policy. It also provides me a place to vent and fume. If somebody doesn’t like the drum I’m beating, they are fully able, and encouraged to move on; to a site that better satisfies their social view of the world.
My Son
“Don’t get so wound up, it’s just politics”, my son recently told me. Well, whether I’m saying it to my son, or to a potential reader, or to a neighbor, that is the wrong attitude. In the end, politics is policy, and policy effects everything in our lives. Schools, hospitals, parks, highways, airports, waterways, international trade, health care, military defense and social justice to name just a few. Nearly every part of our daily life is effected in someway by the policies that our elected officials enact in Washington, D.C., or our state capitols. Got it?
A Dirty Affair
Don’t get me wrong. Politics is a dirty, cut throat business. I think I have called it mud wrestling without a referee. Winning the most seats in Congress means power for your team. Winning the White House means big power and gives your party the biggest bully pulpit in the world. Gaining access to such power costs money. Money in our country buys power. No doubt about it. Politicians need to be watched. That is just the nature of being in a bribery prone position. Term limits would be helpful. Legislation to end Citizen’s United would be a great help in limiting the influence of money of our elections. It would be better to give each candidate a stated amount of money from the Federal Government and 3 months of campaign time, and we would probably have a less corrupt system.
Lobbyists
Lobbyist is a dirty word. Unless it is your lobbyist, representing an issue you care about. Lobbying is a prickly issue. Their job is to convince officials that their given cause, is the right cause. One of the main issues is the unlimited amount of money that pours into our election campaigns donated by special interest groups, including foreign corporations. And each group is paying a lobbyist or an army of lobbyists.
Engage And Listen
We as people are not helpless. Engage, take part, it will make you feel good. Maybe frustrated and even angry, but you always feel good when you work for your beliefs. Keep your eyes open. Read the newspaper, on-line and at the door. Turn the television channel off of FoxNews if you are conservative and switch to a month of CNN, or MSNBC. If you tend to gravitate to MSNBC turn it to FoxNews. Make it your business to punch your way out of your own private bubble. I don’t want you to forget your values, or even change your mind on issues, but it is important that you at least hear what the other person is hearing.
Rising Early
I was raring to go when I woke up. My morning started at 4 am with Joe and Mika. I felt a bit sorry for Mika this morning. I know it’s Joe Scarborough’s show, but my God he was on a wild rant. It probably had something to do with politics. LOL.
Amy Coney Barrett
I spent yesterday morning writing legislators about my opposition to the Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett. By noon I was making protest (resistance) calls. I called Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, and my Oregon 1st District Representative, Suzanne Bonamici. Faxes went out yesterday. This afternoon I will a follow up with a note to each of them. Not a long letter, but just a note following an outline I came up with. A template that keeps me on topic.
My Side Is Progressive
Each of the legislators representing me is a Democrat. The Senate however has a Republican majority. And right now, Progressives are paying the price of being the under dogs. I see them getting kicked around everyday, but they get up and dust themselves off and go do a photo-op, or a cable news interview and that is just what they should be doing. The Dems need to let the country know exactly what is at stake with this election and how the Democrats would be doing it differently.
Resistance
It will be hard to stop the wrecking machine of the Trump Administration, they are holding two branches of our government. Until we know the results of the 2020 election, resistance is the best strategy. Resist McConnell and his attempt to pack the courts with conservative, incompetent and unacceptable judges. The Democratic Party must defeat Trump and his Republicans enablers, or the progressive agenda is as good as dead. Four more years of Trump will be the end of the United States as we know it.
Chants Don’t Make Policy
I’m concerned that the Progressive message may be considered too far reaching to attract voters around a core commonality. Everybody wants a quick easy solution, where there are no quick easy solutions. Just ask any Trump supporter. “Drill baby, drill,” “Repeal & Replace,” “Lock her up”. I agree these are catchy phrases. Such chants, get a crowd ginned up, no doubt about it, but it’s the boring, well thought out plan, with the largest number of positive beneficiaries, that creates good policy, and good government.
Republican Love Affair
I’m hoping that a combination of circumstances, including strong candidates, disgust with Trump, and Trump policies, will bring out voters in record numbers. Of course I’m hoping that majority will be people with firm progressive values, who are tired of the Republican love affair with America’s wealthiest 400 families. Let’s return all three branches of government to the Democrats in less than 3 weeks. If the “common man”, allows the Republicans to hold onto the Senate and the White House in 2020 I’m afraid our Democracy is headed the way of all the other past great societies, to extinction.
Stop Trump, vote progressive Democratic/Independent. Your vote matters.
