2011
On the Status of Politics
29/11/11 17:06 Filed in: Politics
This afternoon the telephone rang at about 2 PM. After taking a look at Caller ID I answered the call and identified myself in my typical manner: "Hello, this is Byron."
The perky-sounding voice at the other end said: "Mr. Songer, this is Betty with the Republican Call Center. How are you this afternoon?"
After exchanging pleasantries she got right to the point and asked me that all-important question. You know, the one in which I'm asked if I'd accept a donation of $75,000 to vote for Mitch McConnell. (Or something equally interesting. I was really hoping she was calling with an offer to help me become financially comfortable as I approach the time of signing on for Medicare).
Was I ever disappointed! Instead, she asked me if I was pleased or disappointed with President Obama’s performance. I wasn't asked to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 with ten being really great and 1 being really awful. I wasn't even given the option of saying I was neutral or would rather not comment. Above all, I wasn't asked to rate the performance of Congress. After all, every Senator and Representative knows we have a low opinion.
I decided to give a serious answer because, for goodness sake, this was a representative of the Republican Party inquiring of me, a registered Republican, to rate the performance of the object of Republican disdain. So, I said: "Basically, I'm not greatly disappointed."
Quicker than a speeding bullet I heard "click" as the caller quickly and rudely brought the conversation to an end. I didn't even get a chance to say anything about why I felt that way or anything else. Needless to say, I was greatly disappointed but not surprised.
I'm not surprised because the current state of politics calls for our elected officials to be more concerned about reelection than in working together for the benefit of their constituency. In that process, the Republicans, under the leadership of Mitch McConnell, are out to see that Obama isn't returned to office. Of course the Republican Party doesn't want me participating in any survey because they only care about one thing. In other words, it's just single-issue politics. It isn't what concerns that I may have that's important to them but what I think of a Democrat. It isn't my opinion that really counts; I'm just a voter that fed up with what's been going on with some people I helped elect at one point in time.
Isn't it pathetic that we no longer have "statesman" representing our interests. Instead we have a bunch of well-paid and highly-lobbied people doing our work. Well, I, for one, am tired of the situation and am ready to do my part too see that 2012 isn't a repeat of the last four. I'm ready to elect people that will actually work for us. I know, that's a radical idea and one that'll be difficult to pull off. However, I figure that if I don't set a high goal that neither I nor anyone else will even come close.
Actually, I'm sick of partisan politics. It has gotten us nothing in the past four years. Shucks, we couldn't get the change we voted for because there really was no chance of it every happening. You see, it doesn't seem to matter what a Presidential candidate says, he still has the Members of Congress and a host of lobbyists to deal with. Until that system is changed we'll never see the change we really need.
The perky-sounding voice at the other end said: "Mr. Songer, this is Betty with the Republican Call Center. How are you this afternoon?"
After exchanging pleasantries she got right to the point and asked me that all-important question. You know, the one in which I'm asked if I'd accept a donation of $75,000 to vote for Mitch McConnell. (Or something equally interesting. I was really hoping she was calling with an offer to help me become financially comfortable as I approach the time of signing on for Medicare).
Was I ever disappointed! Instead, she asked me if I was pleased or disappointed with President Obama’s performance. I wasn't asked to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 with ten being really great and 1 being really awful. I wasn't even given the option of saying I was neutral or would rather not comment. Above all, I wasn't asked to rate the performance of Congress. After all, every Senator and Representative knows we have a low opinion.
I decided to give a serious answer because, for goodness sake, this was a representative of the Republican Party inquiring of me, a registered Republican, to rate the performance of the object of Republican disdain. So, I said: "Basically, I'm not greatly disappointed."
Quicker than a speeding bullet I heard "click" as the caller quickly and rudely brought the conversation to an end. I didn't even get a chance to say anything about why I felt that way or anything else. Needless to say, I was greatly disappointed but not surprised.
I'm not surprised because the current state of politics calls for our elected officials to be more concerned about reelection than in working together for the benefit of their constituency. In that process, the Republicans, under the leadership of Mitch McConnell, are out to see that Obama isn't returned to office. Of course the Republican Party doesn't want me participating in any survey because they only care about one thing. In other words, it's just single-issue politics. It isn't what concerns that I may have that's important to them but what I think of a Democrat. It isn't my opinion that really counts; I'm just a voter that fed up with what's been going on with some people I helped elect at one point in time.
Isn't it pathetic that we no longer have "statesman" representing our interests. Instead we have a bunch of well-paid and highly-lobbied people doing our work. Well, I, for one, am tired of the situation and am ready to do my part too see that 2012 isn't a repeat of the last four. I'm ready to elect people that will actually work for us. I know, that's a radical idea and one that'll be difficult to pull off. However, I figure that if I don't set a high goal that neither I nor anyone else will even come close.
Actually, I'm sick of partisan politics. It has gotten us nothing in the past four years. Shucks, we couldn't get the change we voted for because there really was no chance of it every happening. You see, it doesn't seem to matter what a Presidential candidate says, he still has the Members of Congress and a host of lobbyists to deal with. Until that system is changed we'll never see the change we really need.