I almost decided not to write this. Given recent events in our Congress, well, you would hesitate to say most anything too [http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-02-12-voa74.cfm]. Still, while we're still at liberty to enjoy our first amendment rights we ought to, and so in the spirit of free speech, and despite fears of Thoughtpolice, here are some thoughts for this exciting election day.
I'm not calling Mrs. Polk a liar, but I sure wish my high school civic's class had been, well, honest. We spent entirely too much time on the theory of government and far too little on how it actually works. She mentioned PACs, but sort of danced around the power of these cadres and the big businesses they so often represent (have you seen the NRA's giant headquarters?!). We discussed bicameralism, but not its consequences. I could go on but there are those chaps who might be listening in and usually they lack both understanding and humor, so we'll leave it at that.
My particular gripe tonight is the power of the two parties. They've changed a lot over the years, I know (can you imagine any republican trying to abolish slavery today? Lincoln must be rolling in his grave), but these days they are sort of like rival prep schools--they wear slightly different uniforms, but they all drive really nice cars, and at the end of the day, that is what makes them who they are, not their school mottoes. Did you know we have other parties? No? Don't feel bad, why should you have? They are allowed to exist, for now, but they cannot possibly achieve much of anything. To continue the school analogy, these third parties are public schools, dodgy ones.
This is the first election in which I can honestly say that I've felt any real sense that things could change, and we need change, really need it. The last eight years set back the clock so badly and have damaged us domestically and internationally. So, full of vim, I bundled up my son, saddled up the car, and drove the frozen streets to my local polling station to do my duty. As you may have gathered from the previous paragraphs or previous posts, I'm a wee bit cynical, not overly fond of the two parties or of politicians in general, so for me to approach an election with any other credo than "the lesser of two evils" is a big deal. You might also have gathered that I am not a card-carrying member of either party. I don't like them, so, well, why would I be?
It's an easy mistake to make and it is one I make all too often--doing what I believe in, going with what I think I should do rather than taking the more cynical route (cynics, you see, are nothing more than idealists who've lost their way, but who, being idealists, keep trying, like emus running at fences). Damn the subjunctive! Should, could, would, ought to be--they get me every time. The incarnation of this misplaced idealism this time was my "unaffiliated" party status. ONLY adherents of the two prep schools can go to the party--public school kids can have koolaid in the parking lot of the Gas-n-Sip, but only on their side of town.
Now, think about this. We've got other parties, a whole population of independents, but unless such as these join up with one of the two parties, they cannot vote in the primaries. Not here anyway. The ramifications of this are staggering; not only does it mean that entire blocks of potential backers are unable to help determine who gets nominated, which I don't need to remind you is freaking scary, but also that these third parties are alive in name only. A dead letter is in better health. Sure, I was able to vote for no more than three school officials, but important as that is, well, I wanted to cast a vote FOR someone tonight. I know, "for" someone, can you imagine? So cool.
Happily, my bride, who is far smarter than me, and exponentially more rational, is party affiliated and could cast a vote. Made me feel a bit like a Swiss woman circa 1971, but no matter, our house, so to speak, cast its ballot.
So, Senator Obama, if you're reading this, I was going to vote for you tonight, and God willing I will in the general election. It means joining a prep school for a semester, but this is a party I really don't want to miss.
I'm not calling Mrs. Polk a liar, but I sure wish my high school civic's class had been, well, honest. We spent entirely too much time on the theory of government and far too little on how it actually works. She mentioned PACs, but sort of danced around the power of these cadres and the big businesses they so often represent (have you seen the NRA's giant headquarters?!). We discussed bicameralism, but not its consequences. I could go on but there are those chaps who might be listening in and usually they lack both understanding and humor, so we'll leave it at that.
My particular gripe tonight is the power of the two parties. They've changed a lot over the years, I know (can you imagine any republican trying to abolish slavery today? Lincoln must be rolling in his grave), but these days they are sort of like rival prep schools--they wear slightly different uniforms, but they all drive really nice cars, and at the end of the day, that is what makes them who they are, not their school mottoes. Did you know we have other parties? No? Don't feel bad, why should you have? They are allowed to exist, for now, but they cannot possibly achieve much of anything. To continue the school analogy, these third parties are public schools, dodgy ones.
This is the first election in which I can honestly say that I've felt any real sense that things could change, and we need change, really need it. The last eight years set back the clock so badly and have damaged us domestically and internationally. So, full of vim, I bundled up my son, saddled up the car, and drove the frozen streets to my local polling station to do my duty. As you may have gathered from the previous paragraphs or previous posts, I'm a wee bit cynical, not overly fond of the two parties or of politicians in general, so for me to approach an election with any other credo than "the lesser of two evils" is a big deal. You might also have gathered that I am not a card-carrying member of either party. I don't like them, so, well, why would I be?
It's an easy mistake to make and it is one I make all too often--doing what I believe in, going with what I think I should do rather than taking the more cynical route (cynics, you see, are nothing more than idealists who've lost their way, but who, being idealists, keep trying, like emus running at fences). Damn the subjunctive! Should, could, would, ought to be--they get me every time. The incarnation of this misplaced idealism this time was my "unaffiliated" party status. ONLY adherents of the two prep schools can go to the party--public school kids can have koolaid in the parking lot of the Gas-n-Sip, but only on their side of town.
Now, think about this. We've got other parties, a whole population of independents, but unless such as these join up with one of the two parties, they cannot vote in the primaries. Not here anyway. The ramifications of this are staggering; not only does it mean that entire blocks of potential backers are unable to help determine who gets nominated, which I don't need to remind you is freaking scary, but also that these third parties are alive in name only. A dead letter is in better health. Sure, I was able to vote for no more than three school officials, but important as that is, well, I wanted to cast a vote FOR someone tonight. I know, "for" someone, can you imagine? So cool.
Happily, my bride, who is far smarter than me, and exponentially more rational, is party affiliated and could cast a vote. Made me feel a bit like a Swiss woman circa 1971, but no matter, our house, so to speak, cast its ballot.
So, Senator Obama, if you're reading this, I was going to vote for you tonight, and God willing I will in the general election. It means joining a prep school for a semester, but this is a party I really don't want to miss.
3 comments:
Two comments, neither scathing nor deeply researchedØ
The first: lobbyists and their organizations, no matter how distasteful you may find them, represent a fundamental American right: for the people to petition the government for redress of grievances. You may not like the NRA or the American Nazi Party or Greenpeace, but at least be willing to accept that they represent a core principle (however over grown) of the American experience.
Second issue: the right to vote in primaries is entirely regulated by the state party. So, in Maryland, you may only be able to vote in the primary for the party for whom you are registered but this is not universally true. That said, consider that the primary system holds no political weight (officially, in PR terms it's very different) so it stands to reason that only "party members" should control the outcome of "party events" such as the upcoming nominations. If you want to vote in the primary for the nomination of Scrooge McDuck, register in the Stark Raving Looney party, don't wimper that nobody will let you!
So... while I understand your sense of disaffection or disenfranchisement, keep some perspective. The things that you are griping about are both bigger and smaller than who wins the election in November. The important thing is that somebody wins a decisive victory that all Americans can accept and that that new administration get its act together quickly.
Bottle up that "I couldn't vote in the primaries" rage and release it by doing some lobbying of your own for whom ever you damn well please!
F
We shall meet sir over e-mail where this level of detail and rightwingism, nay, mercantilism, can be rightly punished ;-)
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