Posted by
Randy W. Harris on Thursday, April 12, 2007 2:28:06 PM
Unfortunately, the 2008 presidential campaign (which is in full blast almost 10 months before the first primary) is already demonstrating why the United States is in such a mess politically, why nearly 50% of the populace doesn't even bother to show up at the polls, and why our very political system could be on the verge of collapse in the next 10 to 20 years, if not sooner.
Let's first talk about the candidates, Republicans and then Democrats. Is there even ONE candidate who has brought forth at this stage anything that even resembles a new idea? The Republican candidates talk about "fiscal toughness" yet the current poll leaders (Giuliani, Romney, and McCain) all have some sort of deficiency related to fiscal policy in their past. Foreign policy positions do not completely understand or appreciate changing cultures throughout the world, nor problems or mistakes the United States has made in the past through various economic or military initiatives. And social issues? Those are really hot potatos the "leading" candidates would rather prefer to go away.
The Democrats are downright scary. Hilary Clinton simply wants power to work to install her vision of a leviathan government she has publicly advocated, primarily through her infamous book "It Takes a Village" and through her incredible actions while heading the healthcare reform committee in 1993. John Edwards is of the same ilk, just in different ways. And Obama? His "audacity of hope" is to give the liberal programs and policies of the 1960s and 1970s one more grand try - even though anyone with two brain cells working know that they have not and indeed cannot work.
So, alas, the candidates on the main radar screen do not offer much hope or comfort that significant change will really occur. Which leads me to the second major problem leading to the demise of our political system - the media.
The media certainly does it job of covering the major candidates with their meaningless speeches and public appearances, which are generally nothing more than contrived PR. But what about the minor candidates? How much would they love to get free press and TV? Yet, on the Republican side, barely a person on the street even knows who Tom Tancredo, Duncan Hunter, or Ron Paul are - much less the fact that they are also running for president.
Yet the stark reality is that without name recognition, no candidate has any chance. Exactly how is the political process helped when legitimate candidates with many legitimate and even novel ideas to help the messes we are in are not given exposure to the public? Time constraints, money issues, or "relevance" are no excuse for the media to not do their job. Why, may I ask, does Obama get the attention that he does? Obama does have support and has raised enormous amounts of money through "person on the street" contributions, but why is that for a person who has only been in the Senate for two years and was completely unknown until his Senate candidacy? The reason is simple: he is a sharp-looking, black, articulate man who espouses the liberalism that the media so dearly loves. White and/or male unknowns with conservative viewpoints need not apply to get the coverage.
Then there is the third problem - the parties themselves. Intent only on gaining and maintaining political power, the annoying concepts of principle, justice, and truth are merely given lip service. Whoever can give the best speech, look the best on TV, and say the right hackneyed jargon will get the support of the Party Machines. Others are neglected or even treated downright rudely. And now with numerous states pushing their primaries to the beginning of February 2008 in order not to be "left out," the party elites will certainly only focus their attention on the candidates who have the monetary clout, tow the party line well, and appear to be "electable." Again, minor candidates need not apply. They will again be on the outside looking in.
I know of numerous individuals, involved with their political parties and indifferent to politics, who are already fed up with the process. Candidates to get excited about do not exist or are so remotely known that they have no chance. Is that truly what America was originally meant to be politically?
No. Tragically, it is not going to change soon. However, with major problems economically, socially, and internationally looming which could legitimately threaten our very survival as a nation, there is still no desire or impetus to change at the highest levels of government or media.
And time is running out.