I forgot to put in the links earlier, LEK. 1:40 PM Nov. 8, 2006
Reading this article at the New York Times, and somehow I can't quite believe the Democrats controling the House now, indicates any real change in America or in the electorate. I am sorry Rahm but this quote “The American people have sent a resounding and unmistakable message of change and a new direction for America,” rings in my ears as just so much rhetorical noise.
So according to this article exit poles indicate 60 percent now oppose the War in Iraq (fine timing oh great people of the US) 40 percent saw there vote as a vote against W. Is that really surprising given how close the presidential elections have been? I don't think so. And then there is the scandal peice. But really should Democrats glory in Republican scandal? Is winning because the other guy is a worse person than you make me want to rejoice in some new direction that we are now supposed to be going.
Here is my complaint, I have been paying fairly close attention to politics since I was 10 years old, that is now for 27 years, not that long I suppose, but I also majored in History and emphsized in American History, and it is common for corruption to up end a party's control of government, but once the supposed reforming party gains power corruption is soon exposed and the party once viewed as corrupt is now the rerforming party. Are we all really that stupid, am I supposed to believe that the Democratic party isn't as knee deep in the dirt as the Republicans? Voting like Cliff makes sense to me, it seems clear sighted and free of triumphalism that seems part and parcel of our political and governing processes, but what candidate could win an election if his or her rhetoric actually saught to appealed to such a voter. I submit highly unlikely. And thus I say the problem isn't with our politicians but with us. If our politicians are corupt if we are upset with the war in Iraq we have ourselves to blame not Bush, not Rove, not Kerry, nor Clinton (you pick which one is worse), etc. We have the politicians whom we have created. They are us. I don't vote to say we need some deep examination as a people, we need to abandon our superiorty complex, we need to forget some idea of bringing democracy and freedom to the world.
Sure this is a great country and I'd rather have our problems than other problems but I think we are in a persistent delusion of our purity and in many ways we are no better than our enemies, no better than the Europeans, no better than whoever you think we are better than. And guess what if you think a politician or a political party will fix this nation, and bring us back to the glory days you are mistaken for two reasons. 1) A Politician has never righted anything really, only been forced to do things by circumstances and 2) there is no golden age to go back to, no time of national purity no time when some ideal of liberty existed in this country.
There is no wind of change people this was just an election, like all others.
