Politician Frustration
Generally I avoid all political talk. Every side thinks they are on the right side. Somebody always feels the need to bring God into the mix. People get emotional and irrational during political discussions. Nobody wants to really listen to anybody else, they just want to be right.
To be perfectly honest most people don’t realize that the politicians don’t give one millisecond of a thought about the real issues that really affect us. They only care about themselves and how they need to spin information in order to ensure they get elected or reelected. As a matter of fact, to be perfectly honest most politicians probably don’t even know what they stand for anymore. Most have flipped so many times to please the majority of people interested in a particular issue that they are too tainted to be effective. I say most because I’m sure there are rogue politicians out there with scruples, but they are silenced or ignored because…well because they have a backbone.
Unfortunately it would appear that most of the voting public only cares about whether or not their egos are petted, and sticking to some bizarre idea that they have to vote along party lines. Seriously…party lines???? I have to walk away when I hear somebody tell me that they are strictly this or strictly that and will only vote for somebody because they are a certain party. I don’t walk because I’m of a different “party”. Instead I walk because they can not be reasoned with and there’s no point in discussing anything with a person who wears blinders.
Notice, I am not pointing out which party I support or which politician during this election I think is the best person. This is because I don’t care about party lines, and this commentary is not meant to support anybody in particular. I’m just fed up with politics in general. I don’t understand this imaginary 2 party system. It’s a nutty mentality because the simple fact is, there are several parties.
Now if you want to know who I support I’ll tell you. I support the person who doesn’t bash another person just to gain an edge. I support the person who does their research before speaking. I support the person who can hold an intellectual conversation and who makes me think differently. I support the person who has a backbone, even if I don’t always agree.
Honestly I don’t want somebody who sways with the wave of current interest. Those types of people never get anything accomplished. They just spend their time petting egos and working to keep a job. They are people I can not respect.
During election years there are certain things I avoid, television, telephones, and church.
The television becomes the great lying box which spews out political commercials like a college binge drinker spews an overdose of liquor. Yes, compare watching a person vomit to political commercials and heated discussions with closed minded people. Each are equally unattractive.
The telephone becomes a robo-politician. Seriously, do politicians really think that randomly calling people and using a machine to speak for them is a good idea? Haven’t these politicians heard people complain about robo-customer service? “Please push 1 if you really want help.” Oh wait, that’s right they don’t really care about their constituents. They only care about getting elected or reelected. This means they haven’t heard people complain about robo-telemarketing, robo-customer service, or robo-politicians.
The third element I avoid is church or any religious institution during election years. Seriously, why do people think that another fallible person was hand chosen by God? Is there a sign over certain politicians’ heads that I’m missing? How I do I know if God really spoke to a religious leader? Gasp, could it be possible that the religious leader is just pushing a personal agenda?
Seriously, I feel strong convictions too. If my convictions do not mesh with the religious leaders’ point of view does that make me less religious or spiritual? No, I avoid church during election years because it’s honestly good for my mental and spiritual well being. There was a preacher, a very long time ago, who told his congregation that God wanted a certain person to be elected and implied that by voting differently would equal to working for Satan. Sadly, this was a preacher who spoke at a church I attended. When the sermon ended I walked out and didn’t attend any church again for several years. Now I just avoid church during elections years because honestly if I didn’t I probably would never walk into another spiritual building. I do not attend church services to be told which fallible human I should elect or reelect into office. Give me a break.
So this election year I want to have intelligent conversations with people who genuinely listen to one another. I crave the type of exchanges that will challenge me to think differently. I long to meet up with different minded people who understand that respect comes first and throwing around insults only shuts down hearts and minds. Yeah, in other words I won’t be discussing politics very often.
Suzanne Conaway
8 months, 2 weeks agoDon’t know if you live in the Northland, but our pastor makes sure politics don’t enter into the sermons. Avondale United Methodist Church.
And, I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment of most politicians. I consider myself a Democrat. However, I know of at least one race that I’ll be voting GOP.
But I must admit, the GOPers that signed Norquist’s ‘no taxes’ pledge scare me. Now, no matter what state the USA is in, they’re damned if they vote for taxes damned if they don’t. I would feel the same way if Dems were to sign some sort of ‘set in stone’ pledge.
Actually, the whole poisonous political situation nowadays scares the hell out of me. Where are the Teddy Kennedys, the Bob Doles’, etc. who didn’t consider ‘compromise’ to be a dirty word?
Is this Armegeddon for our country?
Yanwen Xia
Overland Park
8 months, 2 weeks agoMaggie, I like your attitude. I am always amazed at this phenomenon, that people tend to blame government for any problem that they currently have and seek the government for solution, when they claim to shrink the role of the government.
They act as if all problems could be magically solved and millions of jobs could be created with a change of the president, as in the case of 2008 election and we see the same thing happened now. The naivety is so entertaining.
As a nation, if people always look at the government for explanation and solution, they will never become responsible citizens.
George Hunsucker
Northland
8 months, 2 weeks agoRemember your last paragraph Yanwen as you vote this Nov. 6.
You will have a clear choice between more suffocating, demeaning government, Obama, and less government, Romney.
Do the responsible thing and vote for Romney and lead a fuller life….
Kent Mueller
8 months, 2 weeks agoSuzanne, did you really mean to use Ted Kennedy as an example? Heaven help us. Political historians have sometimes put the fulcrum point of political civility at the approval hearings for Robert Bork. Ted Kennedy was reprehensible in what he did. He poisoned the political environment. The term for what he did is even named after his tactics. He borked Robert Bork. Thank you for that sad legacy, Ted.
George Hunsucker
Northland
8 months, 2 weeks agoYou forgot Kent, Teddie got the safe-driving award for his driving prowess at Chappaquiddick when he left the woman to die.
He has always been a hero of mine for this…..
George Hunsucker
Northland
8 months, 2 weeks agoYanwen, another article showing you what is happening to you….
http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/can-be-what-women-want_651374.html?page=1
Mark Hastert
8 months, 2 weeks agoWell Maggie I wish there were millions more like you but, as is evident, there are not. Too many want to be lied to and to have they prejudices reinforced. A recent study found that when people’s beliefs were corrected and contradicted by the facts they only hardened their resistance and became more strident, even belligerent. Just read some of the comments you see.
For the politicians who claim to be deeply religions they sure break the commandment about baring false witness an awful lot. They don’t seem to understand that an amalgam of fact isn’t necessarily truth…. they had better pray that an accumulation of the sin of omission isn’t enough to send you to hell.
George Hunsucker
Northland
8 months, 2 weeks agoYes Yanwen, the donkeys are soooooooooooooooooo respectful of you….
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1061157664&srvc=rss&utmsource=twitterfeed&utmmedium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bostonherald+%28Home+-+BostonHerald.com%29