Saturday, January 27, 2007

Red Shirt, Blue Shirt, Old Shirt, New Shirt

I find the flurry of politics somewhat overwhelming. As if I am walking into a Hatfield/McCoy battleground, each side is screaming for me to "come and join us, WE are RIGHT!" Both sides have issues I agree with, both sides use tactics I do not like. I can't seem to decide, do I want to wear the Republican red shirt, or the Democratic blue?

When I proudly informed my father some time ago that I was independent of party, he told me I had to choose one or the other to make my vote count. "The real politics," he said, "happen in the primaries. If you don't declare a party, you get no vote in the primary." Each time I have voted and gone to fill in the little black bubble by one party or the other, something holds my hand. I can't commit, despite the benefits.

On top of that confusion lies the mystery of candidacy. I have yet to see a single presidential hopeful exhibit the slightest iota of moral accountability. How can I vote for someone whose main goal is simply power? They do not wish to serve the country, no matter what they say. In the eyes of each candidate lurks the fervor of competition.

"We have had no good president since Washington," is one of my favorite sayings. Why? "Because he is the only one who refused the job."

3 comments :

  1. I tend to think morality is over-rated in presidents. Jimmy Carter was an infinitely moral man. He wasn't a very good president. Richard Nixon was terribly immoral. I'm a Democrat and it hurts my heart to say it - he did some great things as president. Bill Clinton, crap morality, great president. Why do we want moral leaders? And how do you define moral anyway? The Christian Right thinks George W Bush is moral because he's never cheated on his wife (that we know of), never mind the guy's a crack addict and invaded a country based on lies. Heck, give me someone who sleeps with his wife but keeps us out of unnecessary wars any old day!

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  2. It's isn't exactly morality per se as moral agency I mean. The only cause they serve is their own self. By moral agency, I mean responsibility for their actions and a drive to act according to their beliefs (even if those beliefs do not echo mine.) It means conducting yourself honestly and with integrity. A person with moral agency will present as true of a picture of themselves as they can, do not bend in the winds of popular opinion, honestly admit to mistakes made and try to rectify those mistakes. A person with moral agency is incapable of being elected under the current system, sadly.

    There is no way to know the complete truth about any government leader's actions. I want a leader who I can trust to do what he or she believes is the right thing without fear of loss of political face. As it stands, I don't believe it will happen.

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  3. This post describes exactly how I feel about political parties! There are things I like about each, and just as many things that I don't like about each.

    ReplyDelete

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