"Elections" have lost value

As the elections wind up, the ballots are counted and the candidates start making plans for the curtains in their new state or federally funded homes, I can’t help but feel that I, as a voter, have been taken for a ride.

Though it was hailed as an extremely important election, and the fact that it was each American’s responsibility to vote was pressed ever so seriously into our minds, the candidates themselves made the whole thing seem like some sort of grade-school popularity contest.

Through television ads, radio announcements and yes, even newspaper articles, the candidates slung mud so fast and heavy I felt like I was back in grade 2, watching a mud-fight on the playground. It seemed that whoever was able to come out the cleanest won; whether or not he or she was actually any better than the other at all (at anything other than ducking anyways). As a serious voter, who truly cares about the direction our country is going in (demonstrably ‘down’), I took time to research the candidates who asked for my vote…. attempted to anyhow. The mud was flying online too. I also noticed that everyone was so busy telling us why the other guy was so bad, that no one really took the time to explain why they themselves were good. Has our democracy truly declined so far that our elections have come to choosing the least bad candidate instead of the best? Or is the general public truly of such low intellect that we can only understand the grunts of ‘ugh…he bad’ instead of debates about the issues? It’s downright scary to think so!

At the same time I find myself wondering when politics ended up being reserved for a new American aristocracy? Why is it that only the wealthy are running for, and winning elections? When did the money a candidate could throw at a campaign begin to choose who would win? It’s true; in the parties’ own words, they describe mad fundraising that is ‘essential’ to a given person winning an election, and state ‘so-and-so won’t win…he doesn’t have enough money.’ So, apparently, only the rich know how to run the country. And, apparently, we believe it.

Since when have the rich ever understood what the common many felt or believed? Are THEY worried about public schools, when their own children attend private? Are THEY concerned about public health care, when they can afford the best doctors anyways? Do THEY send THEIR sons and daughters off to war, or are they enjoying classes at Harvard? Do THEY worry about student loans and grants to get them there? And do THEY worry about immigrants in any other role than ensuring that their lawns are mowed and hotel rooms cleaned? HIGHLY doubtful. In fact, I’d say it’s pretty safe to say NO. Even if they were concerned, they would have no idea of what the people in ‘lower’ positions in life want or need.

The public decries more and more how congress and the president are so ‘out of touch’ with the common American’s wants and needs, and yet WE KEEP ELECTING THEM! We are actively choosing to subjugate ourselves to the rich in this country. We even PAY them, providing homes and planes and fancy cars. These people who are supposed to be representing us are so out of touch with the Americans they ‘represent’ that they couldn’t see eye-to-eye if they actually tried (and few do). The only time they get concerned about what the people think and want is at election time, when they tell us all how bad the other guy is in an effort to keep their jobs. In my eyes, this is the exact same as two brothers getting in a fight and declaring “Mom, but he…” in an effort to shift blame and responsibility away from themselves. Let’s wake up America, and end this! This loogey we called an election is unacceptable! Let’s change the election laws, demand more real information and less bull, create the ability for lower-income people to run for office, and cut the pork from the candidate’s own stomachs (do they really need all those ‘extras’ they get in office? Paid for by US?). Let’s put real democracy into action and clean up the mess we’ve created.