A few thoughts for the week.
***
You simply have to wonder.
More and more people are voting because they are disillusioned with whoever happens to be in office rather than because they have a solid, positive view of some candidate’s vision for the future.
I suppose it’s nothing new. Years ago Franklin P. Adams was credited with saying, “Elections are won by men and women chiefly because most people vote against somebody rather than for somebody.”
And so, we come to 2012 ...
We have a president with whom lots of people are disappointed, facing off against a candidate with whom lots of people are dissatisfied.
Folks simply aren’t getting too fired up for anyone. There is, however, a lot of sighing and harumphing across the land.
When asked why somebody is voting for whichever candidate, the answer generally is accompanied by a lot of “er” and “um” and “ah.”
You could expect hemming and hawing from us simple folk, but the commentary coming from “On High” with regard to presidential candidates is often odd.
Over the weekend, it was reported that House Speaker John Boehner now realizes that most Americans simply “... aren’t going to fall in love ...” with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
Why would they?
Boehner knows exactly with whom he is dealing, and he knows who will be heading to the polls in November. There is no great romance between Romney and the majority of people in this country.
But then again, folks aren’t too giggly about Pres. Obama either.
Still, while referring to HIS candidate, Boehner noted “The American people probably aren’t going to fall in love with Mitt Romney. I’ll tell you this: 95 percent of the people that show up to vote in November are going to show up in that voting booth, and they are going to vote for or against Barack Obama.”
Wow!
Now, that’s a resounding endorsement!
The GOP’s Speaker of the House fully believes the majority of voters who cast their ballots for the Republican candidate are not actually voting FOR him, but rather are voting against the other guy.
Sigh.
What a lousy state of affairs.
Even the legislative leaders of this nation understand there just isn’t much of a choice, so, they reason, voters should pick the guy they think will do the least damage — not vote for who they think will actually do the most good.
***
And then there are the “We the people ...” crowd.
While out shopping this past weekend, a guy walked up to me in a BR store and with no little degree of pugnaciousness announced, “Hey, Crees! We the people are going to take this country back in November.”
“OK. Fine,” was my reply. “ Um ... have you seen the eggplants?”
You gotta wonder.
A) Who is “We the people ...”?
B) Who took their country?
C) Who are they taking it back from?
A) Well, the strange thing is that “We the people ...” is all of us. ALL of us. Even the ones with whom you don’t agree.
“We the people ...” is not limited to some so-called Tea Party folks. “We the people ...” are liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans, whites, blacks, and other people of color and ethnic origin, Christians, Jews and Moslems. (Yes, Moslems. Get over it.)
“We the people ...” voted for Obama and voted for McCain.
“We the people ...” support the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and “We the people ...” are vehemently against the same.
“We the people ...” are not “You the people ...”
It’s “We.” All of us.
And if you don’t understand that, you’re missing the whole point.
B) Nobody took your country. Nobody.
In 2008, a majority of the voters in this constitutional democracy voted for a Democratic candidate instead of a Republican candidate.
It’s called a democracy.
The Democrat won. The Republican lost.
That’s the way an election works.
I promise you — at some point in the future, the Democratic candidate will lose and the U.S. will once again have a Republican president.
When this happens, the Democrats will start whining about somebody stealing their country.
Dude! Nobody took your country. It’s right here.
Enjoy it. Even though your guy didn’t win, you’re still blessed.
C) I guess the tricorne hat wearers want to take “their county” back from ... other Americans.
“We the people ...” aren’t happy. They feel mildly threatened. So “We the people ...” want to “take the country back” from the other “We the peoples ...”
If “We” elected this administration with a democratic majority, why does “We” think somebody stole their country?
It simply makes no sense.
It may well be that “We” hasn’t quite figured out just yet that “We” includes people of color. “We” involves ethnic and religious diversity.
“We” even includes women!
Dear “We the people ...” readers.
Don’t waste too much time, effort, or breath trying to save the nation and take the country back.
If you really truly believe in “We the people ...” the only people you’ll be waging battle against will be “We the people ...”
And that’s you!
