Lies Our Parents Told Us
Santa; The Easter Bunny; The Tooth Fairy... and "You can be President when you grow up." Ok, then let's see if that statement can hold water. How can the average citizen, Joe Six Pack, or Jane Doe, get the where-with-all to run a modern day campaign, with all the advertising; rallies; and travel involved, the people behind the scenes, the polling and just plain expense money to pay the bills at home, since they won't have the time to work their regular job to pay the mortgage or grocery bills? How is this accomplished? Of course, there are millionaires who use a lot of their own money to get started. And Political Action Committees get behind some people as long as their message is up to the PAC's standards. Then there's the parties themselves, who give lots of money to help certain people oust incumbents who've overstayed their welcome. Well, if the person doesn't fit into any particular hole, and there aren't any PACs looking around for someone to give money to who doesn't particularly agree with anything they're trying to push, and the person isn't rich, where do they go for support? How do they even make a name for themselves without making it into the public eye in the first place?
Local Politics. Ok, I guess. Run for city council or township supervisor or water commissioner. What ever job needs filling. Then make a name for yourself as soon as possible by making some great contribution to government, like not accepting a pay raise. Let's face it. If the money was alright for you to want the job in the first place, you really don't need a raise. Ok, you've made yourself a local hero, so now branch out and try statewide office. Something like state senator or if you don't want to get that high up right away, go for county commission. Then it's just a cake walk to the governor's mansion. Of course, you've got to find other ways to be a hero than constantly turning down pay raises. The public doesn't like a one pony show. But what if you don't want to wait 20 years to make a real change in this country? What if you see that America is running headlong into an abyss, and you can't see any cavalry coming over the horizon? Who do you turn to?
Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... a grass roots movement! Oh, my goodness! How would someone actually get the attention of enough people around the country to get them motivated enough to even open their wallets, let alone get them to vote for you? What kind of public spectacle could you perform to win the hearts and minds of millions of Americans so that they'd support your campaign, at least long enough for you to get some big money behind you? Well, public parades are one arena where you can at least pay to paint your riding mower red, white and blue and put a couple of posters on the front and back stating your candidacy. Or if you don't want to mess up your mower, rent a car and pay the insurance premium so that when you bring it back all painted up and full of dents from beer cans thrown at you, it's covered. Of course, if you're really running as an independent, which ever party is dominant in the area is going to make a point of trying to make you look like a kook, or worse, a member of the opposite party.
True democracy is dead! This is government of the party; by the party, and for the party. The party system, with all the money and power behind it, isn't about democracy, but simply staying in power, no matter what it takes. Mud raking is their business, and they'll look into every closet it takes to find something you're ashamed of. They don't care if all they can dredge up is the fact that you adopted a child of a different ethnic group. They'll use it to make you look less than desirable in parts of the country that don't particularly like people of different ethnic groups, and they don't even care if you're a member of their party. If their favorite is running behind, they'll chop at your heels with a sling blade 'til they cut you down.
Term limitations. That's the key. Not just how many times they can run, but how long they actually stay in office. Every elected official should have a four year term. Two terms. That's it. Congress Members should have their terms doubled because there isn't any way anything can get done in two years, since they're constantly pan handling for campaign contributions. If they can't get anything accomplished in four years, then they shouldn't get a second chance anyway. Senators should have their terms cut to four years because many of them are simply there to sweeten the pot at home when it's time for the government to dole out it's largesse. And, if they're into doing nothing more, we don't have to wait two more years to get them gone.
Kill the lobbyists. 'Nuff said.
Make the Constitution work again. We need to stop letting the parties decide who gets to determine what the constitution really says. Life-long posts for federal judges is ludicrous! If one party stacks the courts, with young people, and everyone knows that the party isn't going to pick someone with a mind of their own, then we'll live under the thumbs of the parties forever! If the people got to pick who sits on the benches, like in the states, the judges would more likely resemble the populace at large, and not the party in power. Judges should be independent, but they should also be held to some kind of accountability. I know that if judges are afraid of being thrown out of office at the next election, they're more likely to rule in favor of local sentiments instead of on the side of justice. But when the parties pick the judge, all we get is the party line, not justice. Even when half the country goes along with the ruling, the other half thinks it stinks and can't wait to get into power so they can revisit the case after they've packed the court with their minions. It's a merry-go-round! If a particular case has been decided, then it's decided and that's that! Why go back and try it all over again under a different name? It's simply sour grapes. Do we allow sports teams to appeal a loss? Do we give lottery winnings to more deserving people than those who won? There needs to be a lot of thinking done on this subject, by people who aren't being paid, who are far from home and can't go back 'til their recommendations are accepted by plebiscite. That way they don't take too long to figure out what needs to be done, and don't simply throw something together in a hurry simply to get back home. Something like a jury. You know, those people who are too stupid to get out of their civic duty.
I want to run for President. Yes, that's right, I'm willing to go through all the crap it takes to get elected. I won't have to bother running in primaries because I'm an independent, and I don't have to get nominated, since I've already nominated myself. The only thing I'll need is a lot of money and people intelligent enough to realize they're being taken by the major parties to hell in a handbasket! If elected, and people don't like what I'm doing, all they have to do is hold a plebiscite and vote me out. Is there anything easier than that? Of course, I'm hoping that if people are willing to support my movement, they'd at least give me time to get things rolling before throwing me out. It's going to be a long, hard battle, but with truth on my side, how can I fail? Yeah, right.
Local Politics. Ok, I guess. Run for city council or township supervisor or water commissioner. What ever job needs filling. Then make a name for yourself as soon as possible by making some great contribution to government, like not accepting a pay raise. Let's face it. If the money was alright for you to want the job in the first place, you really don't need a raise. Ok, you've made yourself a local hero, so now branch out and try statewide office. Something like state senator or if you don't want to get that high up right away, go for county commission. Then it's just a cake walk to the governor's mansion. Of course, you've got to find other ways to be a hero than constantly turning down pay raises. The public doesn't like a one pony show. But what if you don't want to wait 20 years to make a real change in this country? What if you see that America is running headlong into an abyss, and you can't see any cavalry coming over the horizon? Who do you turn to?
Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... a grass roots movement! Oh, my goodness! How would someone actually get the attention of enough people around the country to get them motivated enough to even open their wallets, let alone get them to vote for you? What kind of public spectacle could you perform to win the hearts and minds of millions of Americans so that they'd support your campaign, at least long enough for you to get some big money behind you? Well, public parades are one arena where you can at least pay to paint your riding mower red, white and blue and put a couple of posters on the front and back stating your candidacy. Or if you don't want to mess up your mower, rent a car and pay the insurance premium so that when you bring it back all painted up and full of dents from beer cans thrown at you, it's covered. Of course, if you're really running as an independent, which ever party is dominant in the area is going to make a point of trying to make you look like a kook, or worse, a member of the opposite party.
True democracy is dead! This is government of the party; by the party, and for the party. The party system, with all the money and power behind it, isn't about democracy, but simply staying in power, no matter what it takes. Mud raking is their business, and they'll look into every closet it takes to find something you're ashamed of. They don't care if all they can dredge up is the fact that you adopted a child of a different ethnic group. They'll use it to make you look less than desirable in parts of the country that don't particularly like people of different ethnic groups, and they don't even care if you're a member of their party. If their favorite is running behind, they'll chop at your heels with a sling blade 'til they cut you down.
Term limitations. That's the key. Not just how many times they can run, but how long they actually stay in office. Every elected official should have a four year term. Two terms. That's it. Congress Members should have their terms doubled because there isn't any way anything can get done in two years, since they're constantly pan handling for campaign contributions. If they can't get anything accomplished in four years, then they shouldn't get a second chance anyway. Senators should have their terms cut to four years because many of them are simply there to sweeten the pot at home when it's time for the government to dole out it's largesse. And, if they're into doing nothing more, we don't have to wait two more years to get them gone.
Kill the lobbyists. 'Nuff said.
Make the Constitution work again. We need to stop letting the parties decide who gets to determine what the constitution really says. Life-long posts for federal judges is ludicrous! If one party stacks the courts, with young people, and everyone knows that the party isn't going to pick someone with a mind of their own, then we'll live under the thumbs of the parties forever! If the people got to pick who sits on the benches, like in the states, the judges would more likely resemble the populace at large, and not the party in power. Judges should be independent, but they should also be held to some kind of accountability. I know that if judges are afraid of being thrown out of office at the next election, they're more likely to rule in favor of local sentiments instead of on the side of justice. But when the parties pick the judge, all we get is the party line, not justice. Even when half the country goes along with the ruling, the other half thinks it stinks and can't wait to get into power so they can revisit the case after they've packed the court with their minions. It's a merry-go-round! If a particular case has been decided, then it's decided and that's that! Why go back and try it all over again under a different name? It's simply sour grapes. Do we allow sports teams to appeal a loss? Do we give lottery winnings to more deserving people than those who won? There needs to be a lot of thinking done on this subject, by people who aren't being paid, who are far from home and can't go back 'til their recommendations are accepted by plebiscite. That way they don't take too long to figure out what needs to be done, and don't simply throw something together in a hurry simply to get back home. Something like a jury. You know, those people who are too stupid to get out of their civic duty.
I want to run for President. Yes, that's right, I'm willing to go through all the crap it takes to get elected. I won't have to bother running in primaries because I'm an independent, and I don't have to get nominated, since I've already nominated myself. The only thing I'll need is a lot of money and people intelligent enough to realize they're being taken by the major parties to hell in a handbasket! If elected, and people don't like what I'm doing, all they have to do is hold a plebiscite and vote me out. Is there anything easier than that? Of course, I'm hoping that if people are willing to support my movement, they'd at least give me time to get things rolling before throwing me out. It's going to be a long, hard battle, but with truth on my side, how can I fail? Yeah, right.
posted by Bob at 3:51 PM
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