I could waste hours of my life following campaigns, commentaries, editorials, and whatnots deciding who to vote for and why; but I don’t.
I don’t bother, because I don’t vote. I did it once as a novelty when I turned 18. I probably won’t ever again.
So why this amazing unpatriotic, anti-political disinterest?
I believe that it is beyond the power of any elected official in Washington to make any truly meaningful difference in my life, or the lives of any other citizen in this country.
By the time any man or woman gets to office, their hands are already so tied by favors to be returned, other parties to negotiate with, personal agendas, etc. that I think they probably struggle to tie their own shoes.
I think the best we can hope for from any administration is that it will be there and it will do “stuff”. Meaning that it will remain more or less in control of maintaining general order and stability among our citizenry (is that a word?). It will generally do a decent job of protecting us from harm, and more or less ensure that our economy remains healthy. There are enough checks and balances (not to mention very short terms lengths) designed within our system of government to discourage any outright tyrannical activity.
As long as somebody in America gets elected president, you can count on the above happening. Anything else that adds or subtracts from anyone’s personal legacy amounts to not a whole lot in the long run. Presidents will come, presidents will go. America will remain.
So where’s the real power for change in this country?
I’ll address that next week.