The Importance of Our Politics

I hear far too often from "moderates" and "independents" that politics is useless, or that our public discourse is too hardened by politics. They claim to hate partisanship and seem to believe that no matter what, they will never be heard.

News flash: You're never heard because you never participate in our politics. Or, perhaps more correctly, you were never heard until now. Everyday more and more Americans are finally realizing that anything having to do with public policy, foreign relations and an entire slew of othe issues is politics, and in any discussion which requires the utterance of opinion like-minded people will group. We call thes groups political parties, and they use their collective influence to protect and enforce what they believe is important to them. This is civics 101. The absence of moderates and "independents" from the process for literally years while simultaneously whining about "partisanship", reliably refusing to commit to anything or anyone, is what led to the election of a Democrat controlled Congress and a virtually tone deaf president. Now, in droves they throw up their hands and cry foul.

After the election of Barack Obama last year, I wrote a letter to a friend of mine regarding the massive Democrat sweep. "America has elected their liberal Democrat government, and now they're going to get it," I told him. And indeed they have. They just don't like what they see. We see trillion dollar deficits, government mandated health care on the horizon, government seizure of private business disguised as "bailouts". We even finally got to see liberals' idea of a "middle class tax cut"; haven't you noticed the extra $12 a week? Most of all we've been able to see how the elected officials of the self proclaimed "party of the people" react to everyday Americans. The comman man has been called a brown shirt and "astroturf" by Democats and the liberal Speaker of the House.

Now over half of America believes the liberal Democrats they elected are...too liberal! It's kind of like orderig the baked duck and then complaining that it tastes "too gamey". What exactly did you expect? And besides, what does "too liberal" mean? Is there even such a thing as "just the right amount" of liberal? I ask you, is there such a thing as "just the right amount" of aborted babies? Or "just the right amount" of released criminals? How about "just the right amount" of confiscated or outlawed guns? Or "just the right amount" of coddling to America's enemies? Or just the...you get the point. Vote conservative. Vote Republican.

This is politics. It's not pretty and it's not for pussies. Pick a party or start your own and start fighting for what you believe in. This country has little use for sniffling bench sitters.