Republicans are doing this. Democrats are doing that.
It’s the same thing every day.
One party proposes something; the other opposes whatever
that is. It makes little difference
whether that something is good or bad for us, the people they’re supposed to
represent. In many cases, perhaps most, it has absolutely nothing to do with
us.
It’s about settling scores. Gaining an edge for the next
election cycle. And of course, raising
money by rewarding big donors and appeasing each party’s more extreme bases.
Each party’s primaries are a circus. Insignificant
state or local races cost potential candidates far in excess of what the jobs
pay. When the stakes are a Senate or House seat, primaries to win the
nomination can attract millions in outside money. When primary winners from each party face
off for a Senate or House seat the outside money can hit tens of millions or
more.
And for what? To put or keep some party hack in office who
almost as soon as they are sworn in will start selling out to get money for
their next campaign and to move up in their party’s hierarchy. They’ll fully
immerse themselves in the same petty politics they promised to avoid.
They’ll suddenly forget all their campaign promises and
blissfully ignore what their constituents elected them to do. Until, of course,
the next election cycle begins in earnest.
It’s long past time for us to end this insanity.
The traditional two-party system of Republicans and
Democrats simply isn’t working. The leaders of both parties can thank
themselves for this. The two parties don’t act as checks against each other.
Neither is frankly interested in solving problems.
It’s all elaborate kabuki to make it appear that it’s one
side versus the other, yet in reality both parties are essentially the same.
They want us to believe there’s a difference. One is good; one is evil. Republicans are
good and Democrats are evil. Or
Republicans are evil and Democrats are good. If you are a registered Republican
or Democrat you, too, are either good or evil by association.
However, neither party is worth a damn when it comes to
running the country honestly and efficiently. Republicans act like Democrats
and Democrats like Republicans once elected. They both want to spend money we
don’t have, enrich their friends and big donors, increase the size of
government, make a show of punishing those their special interest supporters
dislike, and then blame the other party for doing exactly the same things.
Meanwhile, virtually nothing positive gets accomplished.
That’s by design.
The minority party always moans and groans about how they are
fighting the good fight but need more of their party’s members elected to make
big changes. As soon as they become the
majority they forget about making all those big changes and blame the now
minority party for being obstructionists.
Truth is, they don’t want to make changes. At least not
changes the voting public wants, like passing term limits, God forbid. Shrinking
government, cutting waste – neither side wants those things either. Although
that’s what most voters really want.
Both sides claim to need a majority to make big changes, but
there’s too much value – especially in campaign fundraising – to be in
opposition rather than in charge. Plus, when you’re in charge, you’re supposed
to accomplish something; something for which you might be held accountable when
the next round of elections come up.
And make no mistake: it’s all about the money, elections,
and avoiding accountability.
So they fight with each other to get to a standstill. That’s
the real goal. That’s also why more and
more voters aren’t registered Republicans or Democrats these days. They don’t
see any meaningful difference between the two. Neither party works for
them.
Now the most powerful and influential group of voters in
America don’t “belong” to either party. The media like to refer to them as “Independents”
but in truth this large body of voters, usually more than 40% of all voters,
don’t like the Republican or Democrat parties. The most extreme elements of
both parties – far right or far left – turn them off entirely.
In many states, unless you are a registered Republican or
Democrat you can’t vote in those parties’ primaries. That makes matters worse,
since primary voters tend to reflect the most extreme elements of each party.
Which means the extremists pick the candidates.
So every election the unaffiliated voters have to hold their
noses and vote for who they see as the least objectionable choice. Or not vote
at all, which is what happens a lot, too.
They usually determine who wins or loses. Party affiliation
means little to them.
Think of it this way: about 27% of voters identify as
Democrats; about 25% identify as Republicans. Add those two and it’s
only about 52% of all voters. Even if both sides turn out 100% of their
respective bases, neither party can win without non-affiliated voters.
Yet almost nobody in either party speaks to them, except
when another election rolls around. Then you see a race to the middle by both parties
to win them over.
That’s sad.
Both parties make a big deal over what they “stand
for.” Mostly what they really stand for
is themselves, plain and simple. They manufacture meaningless issues to whip up
their bases. Instead of creating and passing real legislation to fix real
problems, they set traps for each other.
Like attaching amendments to defund Planned Parenthood to a
defense bill with pay raises for vets so when Democrats withhold votes
Republicans can say Democrats voted against increasing pay for “our men and
women in uniform.” Or when Democrats attach amendments to protect DACA
recipients and to eliminate funding for a border wall to unrelated bills in the
hope that Republicans will have to be on record as opposing help for “the
Dreamers.”
It’s the same with passing a Federal budget. Each side hopes
the other will force a government shutdown, so they can blame the other party.
But the impasses are baked into the budget on purpose. Both sides lard up the budget legislation with
specious crap they know will inflame the other side. In the end, both sides agree to give in, and
total crap gets funded.
It’s all bullshit. It’s a waste of our time and money. There’s
no point.
If either side were truly interested in solving problems
they’d separate the hot-button issues and deal with those individually.
If Republicans want to defund Planned Parenthood, bring
legislation just about that to the floor and have a straight up or down
vote. If Democrats want to give a path
to citizenship to all the illegals here already, bring that legislation by
itself to the floor and vote on it. If anyone is serious about legislating term
limits, bring that by itself to a straight up or down vote. But stop the
gamesmanship of hiding things within other bills – get people on record, yes or
no.
Then voters can decide who best represents their interests
and the interests of the country.
The two parties don’t want that. Voters do.
It’s only a matter of time before the unaffiliated voters of
this country decide enough is enough.
With the power of social media nobody needs millions of dollars anymore
to run for office, or major party backing, or even establishment media support
– Trump proved that.
They simply need excellent, thoughtful, innovative ideas
that speak to what the overwhelming majority of American voters actually want.
Neither of the two current parties seem capable of doing
that.
That’s why they are doomed.
What they should do is merge into one party. The honest way of naming it would be the "Establishment Party." Its campaign promise would be to maintain the status quo.
But they won't do that. They'd lose every election. As they should.
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