Partisan Politics

I have recently changed political parties.... I am now the party of the independent thinker.  It's a wonderful party, no one argues with me about the positions I take on certain issues, and I am free to vote for the candidate that I feel will best represent me.  The good thing about my new party is that I am free to vote across party lines guilt free from thoughts of betraying anyone (almost like our founding fathers meant for it to be).  I believe more people should form their own party, it's very liberating.

I find it fascinating that so many Americans don't know how to describe their political ideology.  I will use a conversation I had with a family member last year as an example. 

My uncle has been a self proclaimed die hard democrat his entire life.  He considers it a "family tradition". My grandfather was a democrat as was his father.  My uncle believes the term democrat is synonymous with rural living.  After hearing my uncle complain about the infamous stimulus bill, I asked him if he had voted for President Obama.  He stated he had not, and in fact had not voted in the last presidential election at all.

The sad fact is that after asking him a few simple questions, he realized that he identified with the republican party, and not only that he was actually a very conservative republican.

My point is that party affiliation (especially in rural areas) tends to pass from generation to generation.  There are a significant amount of people in this country that vote along party lines not because of their ideology, but because their parents voted that way. 

I have been following politics for twenty years, I feel it is my right and responsibility as an American.  Sadly many people from my generation do not feel this way.  They tend to feel that politics are better left to the politicians and are to busy just living their lives to worry about the nation that we have placed in the hands of professional politicians.

The line that separates parties has become less distinct.  Politicians make deals to saciate their benefactors instead of their constituents.  They flip flop, change parties, and "vote their conscience" throughout their terms in office to satisfy "IOU's" made during campaigns, and then do a dance to explain their actions when election time rolls around. 

Our founders created a government by the people for the people.  Their vision was for a governing body that viewed representing their constituents as an honorable burden.  They envisioned a country where citizens sent the most respectable, honest, and brightest from their community to represent them at their nation's capital.  These were farmers, shop owners, preachers, tradesmen.  Why has that changed?

Now, when you say politician  you immediately think lawyer, lobbyist, or academic.  Most of our electorate have never been anything but a politician.  What vested interest do they actually have in the country that they govern. 

Take Ms. Hillary Clinton for example, she moved to New York solely to become a senator.  She had no vested interest in the state, she didn't grow up there, she didn't own a business there or work there prior to moving to the state and running for office.  How can she represent those citizens?

President Obama is another example of a professional politician, every move he has made throughout his entire life has been made to futher his career in politics.  He has never run a business, never produced anything, never sacrificed for his country, yet he now leads it.

At what point to we say enough is enough, when do we stand up as a nation and shout, "This is not the path that was laid out for us by the founders of our country".