Politics, a Dirty Affair
Politics, a Dirty Affair
D. S. Mitchell
The Bloggisphere
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, fume, and stomp my feet. 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. The schools, the hospitals, the parks, the highways, the airports, the waterways, international trade, health care, military defense and social justice. 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. 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, but that’s about as likely as UFO’s on the White House lawn,
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 the other persons argument.
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. I spent the rest of the morning making protest (resistance) calls. I called Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, and my Oregon 2nd District Representative, Cliff Bentz. Faxes went out yesterday. This afternoon I will write each of them a letter. 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
Oregon’s two senators are Democrats. Cliff Bentz, our District #2 Rep is a Republican. Being a Democrat in Washington D.C. right now is a hard place to be, not too many of those critters left in office and they are paying the price of being the under dogs. I see them being kicked around everyday, but they get up and dust themselves off and go do a photo-op, or a cable news interview. Which is exactly what they should do. Pick yourself up, and go out there and talk about how Progressive Democrats would do it differently. Believe me, people want to hear about another way to do things than the Trump way.
Resistance
It will be hard to stop the wrecking machine of the Trump Administration, they are holding all three branches of our government. Until 2026 resistance is the best strategy. Unless the Democratic Party is able to pick electable candidates 2026 looks a long way off, in fact, the progressive agenda may be dead. I’m concerned that the Progressive movement is too diffuse and unable to coalesce around a core commonality. Everybody wants a quick easy solution, where there are no quick easy solutions. “Drill baby, drill,” “Repeal & Replace,” “Lock her up”. I agree these are catchy phrases. Those chants, they 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. But, still we need to get our candidates elected. Maybe, we should work on those catchy phrases. How about,
Republican Love Affair
I’m hoping that a combination of circumstances, including special elections, strong candidates, with firm progressive values, and a constituency that is fucking tired of the Republican love affair with America’s wealthiest 400 families; will lead to a return of Senate and House control to “the loyal opposition,” in 2026. If the “common man”, allows the Republicans to hold onto the House, Senate and White House in 2026 I’m afraid our Democracy is headed the way of all the other past great societies, to extinction.
Stop Trump, Join the New Resistance hit the streets, there’s lots to protest and you’ll have lots of company.
