This campaign season, and well last campaign season too, has really made me realize something alarming about our political system — it is irrelevant. Our two-party system has gotten to be like the NFL or MLB (stay with me here). The team managers and owners have so completely gotten the game down to a science and the players are all so good that the differences between teams is negligible. It is when every game becomes a close game that the franchise owners get together to change the rules – to make it tougher. Over the years they have done that to the NFL and to the NBA.
Well, I suspect that every political race from this point forward will be a close race. Why? Because political strategists and the machines behind these campaigns have gotten it down to a science. We no longer hear about the issues on the news we hear about what states are in contention, how many more electoral votes are required and how to win Michigan. Did you know that neither presidential candidate this year ever came to Texas? Do you know why? Because we are such a conservative state Democrats feel it is a waste to spend money here. Republicans feel there is no need to spend money here because Democrats don’t – so nobody comes to visit. Do I feel neglected? yes, I do. Because my vote is being taken for granted. My vote has already been decided for me by some political strategist in Washington who could care less about what really matters to me. Because I am no longer a person but a demographic. A demographic that is highly sought after (soccer moms) or no longer needed.
Our system does not reward and promote the best candidate, it rewards and promotes the better strategy. It is time to change the rules but unlike professional sports the people in charge of changing the rules are the same ones who benefit from keeping them the same.
We live in California and no presidential candidate comes here for anything except to raise money. No big rallies, just fancy dinners where only the big doners attend. Everyone here knows California will go democrat because we have a few big cities here that rule the state.
I am soooooo ready for the whole election to be done. It has lasted a really long time!
Well you are right but the culprit is the primary system. Not too many years ago the candidates were selected at the conventions and these were real knockdowns but everyone got heard and the result was a candidate endorsed by the party. No more — the new primary system allows New Hampshire and Iowa to select the candidates and none of us have a voice.
I won’t be voting. Thought I had registered when I changed my driver’s license, but apparently not. (This makes me really mad. At myself. Why didn’t I check a month ago?)
Wondering if I should remind/encourage Dick (who did successfully register) to vote or not. He’s a bit unpredictable.
But Utah is prob. more conservative than Texas (and only a bit less so than Idaho).