It may just be a bit presumptious to say so…but, i think that there are so many people who are dissatisfied with both the Republican and Democratic parties that we are going to see something that i tagged as a DemoPublican. That is to say, that people’s value systems lie somewhere in the middle of these two parties that have become so out of touch with their constituents. Alot of conversations that take a political turn tend to reflect the consensus that people are unhappy with the choices. The reasons for that statement are varied. Some don’t like the personality, or the past mistakes, or the perceived lack of experience…on and on. That is not new to this particular election..that is always the case to a certain degree; people pick the person with who they consider will do the country the least amount of harm and promote the most positive changes possible.
In this particularily historic Presidential election; people have been trying to come to terms with issues that have plagued our country and tried to find the alignment within the party that they most closely associate themselves with. That has become harder and harder to do with the economic reality that faces our nation; not to mention, constantly changing boundaries relating to levels of personal privacy as it has been invaded on the pretext of safeguarding our country in matters of national security. Add into that mish-mash the polarization of voters applying personal religious belief systems towards determining which candidate to vote for. Many people are conflicted on that issue; which candidate’s actions most closely reflect their own belief systems.
There are so many issues that have not even begun to be addressed by the candidates that it is a little worrisome. Issues that demand addressing include things such as joblessness, homelessness, health care, education reform, addressing issues that impact the banking systems, transportation systems, homeland security, terrorism, how to provide and manage energy costs and concerns, etc. These are the issues that people care about and base their votes on…not which celebrity gives them a personal endorsement or what music the candidate listens to; come on…get real and deal with the things that matter!
Underneath those issues, runs a very heated debate about who should have been the Democratic nominee; experience or the lack of is important. When Florida and Michigan delegate votes were discounted…this changed the course of the competition between Sen. Barack Obama. There has been a strong battle between supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama. The split has been protracted and continues today…going into the Democratic National Convention this weekend. Even some of the speakers have privately expressed unhappiness with the process; such as Bill Clinton, former President of the United States. He says after the election he will speak his piece; of that, i have no doubt. Sen. Hillary Clinton…now, I can’t even imagine how much pressure she is under. She wanted to be in the place that Sen. Barack Obama is now standing; barring that…she, i am sure would have been happy to be his running mate…that did not happen.
How difficult it must be to stand up there and promote unity in the party when i am sure….that has to be the last thing she wants to do is encourage support for Mr. Obama. Add into the drama, all of the “celebrity” endorsements that Sen. Obama is getting and it is turning into a bit of a 3 ring circus. Today there was a report on a CNN research poll that said since picking Sen. Joe Biden… the run for the Presidency has become tied at 47% between Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama…compared to percentages that showed Sen. Obama in the lead with 51%, just last month.
Everyone has an opinion on how this will play out. Some attempts have been made calling for unity in the Democratic party…but, there is great unhappiness still under the surface. Those that thought Sen. Hillary Clinton should have been the front runner, then fully expected Sen. Barack Obama should give her due consideration for the position of his running mate. When it became obvious that she was passed over; and, he chose Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate those who felt slighted have pledged to vote for Sen. Obama’s competitor Sen. John McCain.
The Republican party has to get out their position on the issues as well. We dont need to see a few months of showboating by either of the candidates…we need to get down to the nitty gritty and quit wasting everyone’s time on surface nonsense.
There is much work to do on both the Republican and the Democratic side to convince voters that the person that they choose to cast their vote for is deserving and capable. In the meantime, DemoPublicans are going to be the deciding factor in this election…God help us all to make the correct choice, without compromising the things that are most important.
Lorraine,
No wonder your son Keith is so successful! He has great genetic makeup… which is obvious from your comments about the status quo of the current political circus.
Some day when we meet… and Orlando in September at my event at which both Jeff and Keith are speakers would be great… remind me to tell you about my grandfather’s observations about “well meaning” politicians.
It has something to do with walking across a cow pasture with clean shoes. As he vividly and colorfully described, by the time you get to the other side of the cow pasture, those clean shoes ain’t so clean.
Keep writing… you have a gift.
Hello Michael:
What a wonderful surprise it was to check my blog very early this morning and find your positive and encouraging comments. Thank you for that. I consider that high praise considering what you have managed to accomplish in your own life.
While i would love to take all the credit for my son Keith’s accomplishments; I just couldn’t do it. He has always had a wonderfully agile mind and a perserverance when it comes to accomplishing anything he sets out to do. My husband is no less amazing…he is dedicated, loyal and committed 100% to encouraging others to achieve their dreams through his coaching. I am a blessed woman who could talk all day about my kids and husband. I will spare you the gory details just this one time LOL. Just so you know, most people probably would say that you have just escaped a fate worse than death…so enjoy your day! Hahaha
Your grandfather sounds like just my kind of person and I would adore hearing more about him. However, I am afraid that I will probably not be able to meet you in September, at the event, as I still have young children at home in school at that time. I do look forward to a time in the future to do so though; and, I will hold you to your promise of learning more about your grandfather and his views on the world.
God Bless you and again, thanks for taking the time to comment on the blog!