Something occurred to me today. The platform of choice for today's politicians (or at least the dems) is this nebulous concept of "change". A lot of focus is being given to the youth vote, and how it very well possibly could put Barack in the Whitehouse. Of course then Barack will make all the changes he promised, reform Washington and make the country a lovely place full of healing.
Those of us with a mindset a little more rooted in the real world scoff at this. Why? Because the youth voters are like the "football fans" who only watch the World Cup final, or the Superbowl. Perhaps, had they paid attention to the smaller matches, attended all the games, gave the ticket revenue to their club so they could buy the best players, perhaps their team would be playing. But as it is, they are left choosing to support the team they dislike least.
And that's what is going to happen if Barack, or any other "change platform" politician comes into office. Sure, the youth vote supported "change" in the final, but they forgot all about change in the preliminaries - the congressional, senate, gubernatorial, mayoral, alderman votes. These guys were still voted in by the baby boomer conservatives and the aging Woodstock hippy liberals. So still have the traditional cut and dry partisan politics.
Effecting change in a country of 300 million people, 435 representatives, 100 senators, 4 delegates, 50 governors, I don't know how many thousands of Mayors and 1 president is not as simple as just changing the president. People don't just step in line with new leadership without opposition.
If you want change, it must be voted for consistently, at every election from top to bottom. Otherwise it'll be the same old stalemate position.
Feb 05, 2008 @ 15:06:48
