by Charles Popielarz

Created on: May 31, 2008

Maybe in the 1950's the lines between liberal and conservative were more clearly drawn. Being part of the "right or "left" doesn't make sense for most people in the world we live in today. I am amazed that so many Americans cling to these party lines. The tragedy is our political system is locked into these ideologies with little hope of any progress in the near future.

The only high profile politician who believes in voting his conscience on issues is Joe Lieberman. Our senators and congressmen wait for their party leaders to tell them how to vote. It is big news when party lines are crossed. It usually takes a strong political wind to blow someone across.
A thoughtful person understands that his own best interests are not always served by one political party. Let's say John Doe is an out of work father of two. He has exhausted his unemployment benefits and he can't feed his children. The position of the democrats on welfare may benefit Mr. Doe. He may get food stamps to feed his family. But what if the democratic position on the environment caused the company he worked for to shut down? The democrats put him out of work then offered food stamps to feed his family.
How about John Smith. He lost his house in hurricane Katrina. The democratic governor of Louisiana had more Army Corps of Engineers funds than any other state in the union for many years prior to Katrina. These funds were not used to shore up the levees. But after the levees failed the governor demanded billions of dollars to help Mr. Smith rebuild. The democrats flood him out but then fight for funds to help him to recover.
So we choose our party. Are we liberal or are we conservative? No one is always served by one position or the other. It's like a friend who regularly delivers sharp kicks to your scrotum followed by the offer of an ice pack. You might question his friendship. You might consider that he doesn't always have your best interest at heart. Do politicians question their "friends?"
Unfortunately, they don't. We operate in a system where majorities are needed to rule. That requires a lot of "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" political wheeling and dealing. Good government is sacrificed to expediency. That is the sad state we're in. Politicians support legislation that does not serve the interests of their constituents in order to get paid back later. Hence, politicians make strange bedfellows.
We voters play along because we really don't have a choice. At election time we're usually forced to choose between the lesser of two evils. Every four years we elect a president. I stand in disbelief every time. In a country of 300 million people, where campaigning for president goes on nonstop between elections, we are always left with two lackluster choices. We have millions of brilliant, honorable, courageous, and creative citizens. Where are they when we're choosing a president? They are working in fields where these qualities are assets rather than liabilities. If they ever had political aspirations they quickly learned that a person unwilling to abandon their principals to the party line has no chance of being elected.

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