#76 Mr. Howell IV – Yes, a bit presumptuous. I can do no more than what I do. I live in WA State. It’s deep blue. All my reps are Dems. They don’t take my calls. Calling the federal numbers also does no good. The Stimulus bill passed despite calls running 9:1 against.
I can do naught else. I’m disabled. My body’s a wreck. I’m mostly blind. I cannot run for office. It’s all I can do to take care of myself. So, I blog. During the campaign, a couple of my arguments ended up getting used in the political discussions on TV. I also directly contacted a few neighbors, friends, and family. I donated some money to causes. I feel I’ve done my bit.
You make good points, but you miss the greater point. Yes, we championed certain issues to our detriment, but that didn’t make those issues less important to us, nor wrong. There’s no point in winning, if you abandon your principles along the way. The purpose of winning is to actually accomplish something, not just to win. the goal is not power, but to do right.
Unfortunately, that’s what many of our elected politicians did (abandoned their principles), and your criticism of them is valid. We share the same plaint of them. Sadly, we lack leaders, because no good man is faultless, and the biased Press tears them apart (witness Palin), while turning a blind eye towards the Dems. Who wants that. They define you by your greatest mistake.
It takes a strong man to get a politician to put his country ahead of his selfish interest. Reagan was like that, as was Gingrich. With their leadership, the politicians adhered mostly to their principles, as they had political cover. With them gone, there is no one to keep the politicians honest.
The problem is not our values. It’s our lack of leadership and the uneven playing field. I do not apologize for our agenda. Rather, I stand by it. If the country turns from us, then so be it. That’s on them, not on me. Yes, we are captives of our values, but I would not have it any other way.
