I had several Republican friends who were ecstatic 8 years ago at supporting a George W. Bush presidential campaign. I don't hold out too much hope that they in retrospect consider it the most embarrassing vote(s) of their political lives. Most Utahns seem to be content to be spoon fed their politics, and most of you wouldn't know a statesman/stateswoman if you had a one-hour conversation with them.Years ago, as part of my Information Systems major at BYU, I accepted a one-semester internship at the LDS Church Office Building. To save gas and stress, I became a part of a 15-person van pool from Provo to Salt Lake. I remember on one occasion several of
It's time to throw all of the rascals out, and not just half of them every few years. If you don't get rid of all the cockroaches, they will be back.
the people in the van discussing how in LDS priesthood meetings over the years they had come to the consensus that to be a good member of the Church you had to be a Republican. How sad. I cannot think of a better illustration of people divorcing themselves from their God-given responsibility to think.So it's not surprising then, that Utahns voted in their mind-numbed way for George W. Bush--not once but twice--by large majorities, nor that they have coalesced in large part behind another Establishment Republican, John McCain, after their fair-haired Mormon boy bowed out of the race at the behest of the Kingmakers. It's not much less surprising that most of the rest of Utahns support "The Man of Change", Barack Obama, who cavorts with terrorists, who supports America haters, and who has already begun to change his tune on fundamental campaign issues so that they match the tune of his establishment overlords. He never did really tell you what change he was talking about, did he? Well...now you know.
If Utah Mormons were really living their religion, they would be thinkers. But they are not thinkers, because if they were, the Democrat Candidate who got the most votes in Utah would have been Dennis Kucinich, and the Republican would have been Ron Paul. Almost all the rest
Please...this time around vote for someone other than McCain, Obama, and your senator who has served himself faithfully for the last 36 years.
of the major party candidates are or were cookie-cutter establishment robots.In his book, Tragedy and Hope, Georgetown professor Carroll Quigley mocked Americans as he told us straight up how easy it would be to fool most of us all of the time.
"The argument that the two parties should represent opposed ideals and policies, one, perhaps, of the Right and the other of the Left, is a foolish idea acceptable only to doctrinaire and academic thinkers. Instead, the two parties should be almost identical, so that the American people can 'throw the rascals out' at any election without leading to any profound or extensive shifts in policy."There is a bright spot amidst the political malaise. I don't yet know if I'll vote for Jason Chaffetz or his Democrat challenger in the Utah 3rd Congressional District race in November, but I do know that the man who is happy that he lost is out on his keyster after about five too many terms in the US House of Representatives.
Seniority is no reason to be elected to high office again and again. Being the lesser of two evils is not a reason, either. The mounting problems that we have in the United States of America--both foreign and domestic--can be traced largely to one cause: the election of charlatans to political office.
It's time to throw all of the rascals out, and not just half of them every few years. If you don't get rid of all the cockroaches, they will be back.
This year, like no other in recent memory, is an excellent time to band together with the millions of voters who have had a gut full of the Establishment Republicans and the Establishment Democrats. Please...this time around vote for someone other than McCain, Obama, and your senator who has served himself faithfully for the last 36 years.
Utahns--when will you wake up and start voting for representatives who are not part of the problem? Do you have the ability to think for yourselves? I hope so, because a train wreck is on the horizon if you don't think quickly.
Hi Frank,
ReplyDeleteGreat post, and absolutely true, in my opinion as well.
I had an interesting conversation a couple of summer's back, with a staffer for Bob Brister, the Green party candidate who ran against Matheson last time around. We were talking about the relative merits of running a campaign that, in the end, has almost no chance of succeeding, if you consider success actually attaining the office you are running for (and not just running to "further the debate"). His idea, perhaps copped a bit from Quigley and other sources, was that the 2 major parties are so similar at this point, that the time is ripe for a 3rd party, a real alternative if you will, to start having some traction and winning elections.
I think he's right to an extent, but for that to happen, people have to think and look at issues and candidates, and as you point out, they are not doing that, at least not yet. I hope at some point they will.
Kucinich was my preferred candidate early on, though I admit I had little hope he would get far. I've held out an outside hope that Obama might pick him as a running mate, but I'm sure that's as much wishful thinking as the majority of Utahns hoping McCain will pick Mitt.
It seems there are a lot of us talking about these types of issues - yet little seems to change. I think ousting Cannon is a good first step (though I know little about Chaffetz to know if he is a better option, and don't live in the 3rd district, so my opinion on that race doesn't count for much in the end). But I had high hopes that we'd see a bit more turnover in some of the state legislative races. Maybe there will be some in the Nov elections, but there certainly wasn't as much as I'd hoped in the primaries.
Thanks for getting me thinking on a Monday morning.
So Nader was right, eh?
ReplyDeleteI agree, and did throw my vote to Kucinich. I'm still debating whether or not to vote for Obama in the general election. I do believe there are times when one must find acceptable compromises--such was the means by which the Constitution was built. Incremental improvement is better than no improvement. On the other hand, All too often incremental improvement tends to stifle real improvmement. The combination of Obama's AIPAC speech, his choice to reject public financing, and now FISA may be too much for me to stomach.
Derek,
ReplyDeleteYep. Nader was right. ;-) One of the things that pleasantly surprised me about Cliff and Richard and OneUtah is that they voted for Nader instead of Kerry last time around. I initially hadn't thought as highly of them as I should have been thinking.
I agree that it's tough to determine whether incremental improvement is better than large-scale improvement. Does the increment put us down the wrong hall in a labyrinth, or maybe landing on a "chute square" in a game of Chutes and Ladders? Hard to say.
Sheri,
Thanks for your thoughtful contribution to the conversation.
I'd like to get to know this Bob Brister guy! He sounds pretty sharp. I may not agree with him on much (although admittedly what I know about the Green party is what I "think" I know), but I do agree that we're ripe for a 3rd party.
The temptation of Kucinich on the Obama ticket could possibly sway me to vote for Obama, but as I alluded to in the main article, and as Derek details somewhat, the changes that Obama has recently made are rather scary.
What do you think the chances are that Ron Paul will run as a 3rd party candidate? It seems a lot of people are talking about it, but I think if he was going to do it, he would have by now.
ReplyDeleteI agree I'm a bit disillusioned by Obama of late. Perhaps it's inevitable in a long campaign cycle. But as a "progressive" (rather than a democrat) I am dismayed to see him going down some of these paths, going back on some issues, going very centrist on others. My admiration for him early on was based on the idea that he's not an "establishment" politician. But now it seems he probably is, and is playing the same games his predecessors have. I'm more frightened of McCain though...seems like maybe I'm bowing to the idea of choosing the lesser of two evils?
Early on I took a "what candidate are you most similar to" online test, Kucinich was the one I agreed with the most.
ReplyDeleteI voted for Obama.
I hope it doesn't come down to voting for the lesser of two evils, but it's not looking good. I hate throwing my vote away on principle (although being in UT, my vote is always kind of thrown away...).
My thing with a 3rd party, at least in Utah, is that we don't even have two parties, so I figure one step at a time.
Sheri,
ReplyDeleteI've thought all along that McCain and Obama are both poison. With McCain it's been obvious for years, but Obama has kept his cards close to his chest until now. His changes are creeping me out with exponential increase.
Ron Paul has vowed that he will not be a third-party candidate, and he seems to be focusing on his congressional campaign now. He recently started the Campaign for Liberty. That meshes with what his book "Revolution: A Manifesto" discusses--that it's not about Ron Paul, but rather it's about the ideas and principles of liberty to be carried on long after he is dead.
That's why now is the time, regardless of who it is necessarily, that we vote against the Establishment and cast our votes and our integrity to third parties. I'm tired of being strangled by the same old economic and foreign policy train wreck that we've become accustomed to.
Allie,
Whadja do that for (vote for Obama instead of Kucinich)?
;-)
You are correct, by the way, about the nearly one-party system that has made political zombies of most Utahns. That's why I spent some time visiting with Democrats at the legislature earlier this year and almost ran in District 67 as a Democrat.
Yep, Allie, that’s why I have semi-reluctantly continued to support the Democratic party in Utah when my heart isn’t really with them. I figure we need to walk before we can run.
ReplyDeleteUltimately, I’d love to see half-a-dozen parties. I know Rob doesn’t like to hear me say it, but I want to see strong Green, Libertarian, Constitutional, Natural Law, what have you, so that there is a wide spectrum of choice, each party has to make a compelling argument besides “The other side is evil!” and people don’t feel beholden to such a narrow choice.
I’d also like a voting system with weighted votes and rankings (“I want Nader First, Then Kucinich, Then McKinney, then Paul, then Obama, then McCain”), so that one could vote one’s conscience without risking the spoiler effect (or whining about spoilers from the losers).
And while I’m wishing, I want a pony.
;)