Today, let’s talk about “Bad Voters – Bad Government”
In another month we will have elected a new President – in the person of “learning on the job dot 2 (Obama – Obama)” or “trickle down dot Three (Reagan – Bush – Romney)”, one-third of the Senate and The House. The winners will walk glassy eyed to the great table of hope expecting that the vision of the future laid out by their candidates will be realized in 100 days. Dream on!
What they forget is there are three bodies of Government in the United States and the Legislature presents a problem for the executive branch. And the legislature itself is a house divided. We don’t elect Kings my friends – we elect Presidents and they need the cooperation of the legislature to get things done and deliver on their promises. Presidents don’t achieve everything they want or promised because we have divided government.
Whatever party reigns victorious will face an opposition with serious clout. Whatever the outcome in November, it is extremely unlikely that one party or the other will enjoy the supermajority in the Senate needed to ram something vehemently opposed by the minority past their silver tongues and down their throats. Therefore, the losers – I minority party will enjoy the all-powerful, show stopping, impregnable fortress of the filibuster in the Senate. This gives them to block anything and everything for any reason.
To wit: Mitch McConnell stated during an interview with Fox News, and I quote “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.” Further, when he asked in that same interview if the charge by the Democrats that the Republicans were sabotaging the economy for political gain in 2012 he first admitted, “well, that’s true” (https://www.examiner.com/article/mitch-mcconnell-r-ky-maintains-gop-s-priority-is-defeating-obama-2012). Now I don’t mean to single out poor Mr. McConnell since modern politics require that the party opposing the President demonize and embarrass him – not just disagree with him. Plus the Democrats can and have been just as obstructionist. Senate rules provide the minority party the power to hold all of us hostage to a political power play.
Two points here. One – we elect people to do our work – not pursue a politicized agenda at the expense of serving the needs of the people. It is universally agreed that the failure to deal with the budget and deficit has set the fiscal cliff that now terrifies most rational Americans. As for the irrational ones, please feel free to jump off.
Secondly, we have to end the hyper-partisanship. Our two parties have to find a way to work together. A government that is frozen by its divisions serves no one’s interests. When we read stories about the great things that government has accomplished – landmark legislation that has made this the great nation it is, part of the story is always the compromise reached between the parties to make it happen. Gridlock and partisan hatred produces nothing. No history book has ever credited extremist gridlock with some great leap forward.
Here’s the problem –the hyper-partisanship is not the fault of the politicians – it’s our fault. When we are drifting inexorably to the extremes. We believe gossip, Internet chatter and commentaries that are often completely false. We are bitterly divided ourselves and the divide now makes the Grand Canyon look a crack in the pavement.
And then we take this division and acrimony and threaten to throw out the politicians that don’t share it. The moderates – the ones who value compromise and reasonable debate are being thrown out office. As Congress moves toward the extremes, its ability to get things done diminishes. Therefore boys and girls – Republicans and Democrats and Americans all – remember if you want to see your government work for the common good – allow them to come to the center and work together. Don’t punish our elected officials for trying to find common ground. If you remain divided and pursue extremism, you will get what you so richly deserve – bad government. Bad voters beget bad government.
Fred Thimmel, is the President of Bryant Products, CEMA’s (Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association) Government Affair’s Committee Chair and a Past President of the Association as well. Fred’s company has been a member of CEMA since 1990.
Disclaimer: Comments found on this Blog represent my views and opinions only. All items found on this Blog are subjective, except where specifically stated and/or quoted otherwise. Quotes and statements are for clarification or further information only and do not imply or express any views other than my own.
Great blog! This is what all need to remember about being an American and living in America, we get to decide who we like or who we don’t like in running our country. We get to do this without being treated as if we are an enemy by our people because that’s what America is all about. Kimberly
I will be a happier American if we raise the bar on the tone of our national debate. We give our grand children time-outs for the types of behavior voters and politicians practice.
I couldn’t agree more, perhaps our politicians need to have their mothers standing over them to ensure they’re behavior is acceptable, if not time-out!
I believe that some of our politicians lose their focus as to why they are there in Washington and perhaps a time-out is something they should all be forced to take to get refocused on what is important.
And no ice cream after dinner.
No ice cream? That’ll shake them up!
Right on, Fred!!!
Hi. I saw a job posting so I wanted to see what CEMA is about. I share similar values to the author: be informed, don’t believe the lies and noise — seek the truth, and then vote. The unfortunate item is that the lobbyist (SuperPAC) money is now the prominent voice in the election campaigns. That is creating much of the spin. CEMA has a down-to-earth, champion-of-industry persona from this website. Small lobby perhaps, but authentic voice. Cheers
Tom-
Thanks – great points and I agree. People need to take the time to find the truth and both parties count on the fact that voters are too lazy to fact check and will fall for their propaganda. Sadly, many, many of them do.
Fred