Partisan Politics: The New Civil War
Americans are no longer fighting two wars, but three. Two are on foreign soil--Iraq and Afghanistan. The other is right here in America. In some ways, the domestic war that's being fought is much more intense than the two abroad.
Although political fights and wrestling matches are not new to Americans, this current round is so full of bitterness, opposition, and hatred, that it appears to be unlike anything that we've witnessed in modern times. With the passing of each new day, and emergence of any new issues, the fight becomes more intense and dangerous.
For starters, the culprits (the schoolyard bullies) need to be identified. It is their interference and stronghold that keeps the fight alive, with no exit or strategy for victory. They are: misinformation, tainted information, lack of knowledge, self-righteousness, unethical behaviors, and hidden agendas. This six-pack of dynamite, if left unchallenged, is poised to detonate and blast bipartisan efforts into further oblivion.
There is so much mudslinging and name calling from the left and right that the middle ground is caught in the crossfire and looking for cover. The absence of the middle makes the body of politics a freak of nature. Without a middle (chest) the left and right arms can not function, have nothing to connect to, and serves very little purpose. They both fall helplessly to the ground. The middle keeps the left and right grounded, not letting any side gain an unfair upper hand, but allowing both sides to carry out their functions for the good of the body.
Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States. We know that. Most of us accept it. He has managed to keep most of his campaign promises and those that he hasn't comes as no surprise. Most Americans are intelligent enough to know what can and will work versus what can't and won't. In the humble opinion of one American, I believe that he is doing a pretty good job with what he's been given. He doesn't come off as angry or bitter. Instead, he seems to be methodically and carefully considering the best interests of this nation. George W. Bush is no longer President of the United States. We know that. All of us accept it because he reached his two term maximum. He governed in accordance with the beliefs and ideals of the Republican right. I'm not sure if his governance was motivated by a desire to effectively lead and represent the American public, or to secure a legacy for himself and scrub the stains from the tainted one of his father, Bush 41. I'm still pondering that one.
Although Bush 43 walked out of office and the public eye nearly 120 days ago, residue from his Administration remains. An unstable economy, high rate of home foreclosures, job losses, financial disasters and more, rests heavily upon the backs and minds of many Americans. Obama comes in, assesses the damage, and looks for ways to stop the bleeding until solutions can be found. However, political rancor rips away the band-aid, exposing the deep wound to more infection, until the situation becomes gravely ill.
Who's right? Is it the Republicans who say the stimulus and bailouts will only lead to more financial and economic disasters later down the road? Or the Democrats who say we have to act now or the country goes from a moderate recession to an acute depression? Who do we believe? Who is more sincere? Who seems to genuinely care about the state of America?
Well, after considering all the talk, analysis, press conferences, news articles, blogs, and opinion polls, this American decided to support the Democratic position. No, I didn't do it based on party affiliation or political popularity. I didn't do it because of the "still-quite-popular" President Obama or the influential First Lady Michelle Obama. For me, image was the deciding factor.
Although the Republicans seemed passionate about their position, their reaction to the crisis was superficial. Sure, they took advantage of photo ops and sound bites to oppose the democratic agenda for the "good of our children and grandchildren" years from now. I listened intently to their commentaries. I looked for sincerity and concern. I found little. What I found abundantly was consistent rejection with little or no thought or consideration. The answer to every Democratic proposal was an emphatic no. Now, when people are forced from their homes, struggle to feed their families, lose their jobs, and face hopeless situations daily, partisan wrestling matches and street brawls does not cast a positive light on leaders. The American public depends on elected officials to make their lives better, and when that fails to happen, consequences abound. The heat of battle rises. The civil war rages. Generals and Commanders are clueless and have difficulty devising a winning strategy.
The negativity and bitterness surrounding the Republican party is destroying credibility. Some times less is definitely more. The airwaves are saturated with divisive, venomous rhetoric from the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter, Glenn Beck, Lou Dobbs, Michelle Bachmann, Dick Cheney, Newt Gingrich and others. Democrats are not much better. They are in the political driver's seat at the moment but they keep looking in the rearview mirror, often suffering avoidable crashes. In the process, the American people suffer. Image is everything. When your words say "I care" and your image says, "so what?" you can best believe that those bearing tainted images will see a political freefall in 2010 and 2012.
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