Erik the Red
Rookie
- Jan 11, 2010
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Do you remember election day 1994? Though I lived on Long Island (as I do now), I was in Oklahoma at the time to attend my grandmothers funeral. It was almost as surreal as that Orson Wells hoax when there were alleged UFO sightings everywhere. When I turned on the radio, it was as if another Democrat had gone up in smoke and some rookie Republican was taking his place. Ted Kennedy won, but only after the political fight of his life to that point. The People had become sick and disillusioned by the Donkey Party and, as evidenced by the election results, were ready for something different. The GOP tsunami had rolled in and they had a glorious opportunity to hold and build power for a long time.
Of course, we know the rest of the story. Not unlike a playoff baseball game where the visiting team is leading five to one in the bottom of the ninth with nobody on base, the relief pitcher gets sloppy and throws a fastball down the middle of the plate, only to see it launched into the upper deck behind left field. Then, because the enemy has finally seen a weakness, this pitcher gives up three singles in a row. Now the manger has no choice but to pull him and bring in the relief pitcher he had hoped to save for the next night. This is so he can face the home teams big gun who is now at the plate. It is already five to two and the bases are loaded. Lo and behold, the big gun does the expected and hits a four hundred and fifty foot grand slam homerun into the parking lot, cracking a couple of windshields in the process. However, the crowd is oblivious to the damaged cars and are screaming their guts out as their players round the bases and are met by their jubilant teammates while, at the same time, the players, who just a few minutes earlier seemed to have the game in the bag, walk off the field with their heads down in total shock.
The same thing happened within a short couple of years to the GOP. They had their boots firmly planted on the back of the Democrats necks and were seemingly cruising down the tracks in a power they had not experienced in decades. The only ones who could mess it up were themselves. And that is what they did.
Did they learn from their mistakes? That remains to be seen.
In 2010, we have an election year where, again, there are a lot of Democratic constituents who are displeased with their representatives. Their voices have been ignored regarding such important topics as gay rights, abortion, and health care. For gay rights and abortion, this is more serious since these are subjects where these supporters were made promises during the 2008 campaign but have been dissed to this point. Regarding health care, many Democrats particularly senior citizens loudly and clearly voiced their disapproval of a government-run program yet nary a compromise was struck by their votees.
Some people will undoubtedly vote for their party member regardless of how lame of a job that person has done on their behalf. But you can be assured that many place credence on actual issues as opposed to personalities. In this age of financial crisis, a mentality of what have you done for me lately is growing by leaps and bounds. What I plan to do personally (its called putting my money where my mouth is) is to start in my own neighborhood and inform as many people face to face as are willing to listen how their Congressperson or Senator has voted on key issues that directly affect them. For those whose minds are already made up, I likely wont get in the door in the first place. But for those who are either on the fence, who dont generally follow politics closely, or who arent aware of many of the issues, raised eyebrows are inevitable. And why wouldnt they be? Politics are very important because they touch everyones lives in some capacity, whether that person gives a hoot or not.
It rarely ceases to amaze me how there are so many who can quote a one hundred year old baseball statistic or who knows every word of Oprahs book but can not tell me who their Congressperson is. This is something that needs to change. And when it does, real change will follow.
Happy 2010
Of course, we know the rest of the story. Not unlike a playoff baseball game where the visiting team is leading five to one in the bottom of the ninth with nobody on base, the relief pitcher gets sloppy and throws a fastball down the middle of the plate, only to see it launched into the upper deck behind left field. Then, because the enemy has finally seen a weakness, this pitcher gives up three singles in a row. Now the manger has no choice but to pull him and bring in the relief pitcher he had hoped to save for the next night. This is so he can face the home teams big gun who is now at the plate. It is already five to two and the bases are loaded. Lo and behold, the big gun does the expected and hits a four hundred and fifty foot grand slam homerun into the parking lot, cracking a couple of windshields in the process. However, the crowd is oblivious to the damaged cars and are screaming their guts out as their players round the bases and are met by their jubilant teammates while, at the same time, the players, who just a few minutes earlier seemed to have the game in the bag, walk off the field with their heads down in total shock.
The same thing happened within a short couple of years to the GOP. They had their boots firmly planted on the back of the Democrats necks and were seemingly cruising down the tracks in a power they had not experienced in decades. The only ones who could mess it up were themselves. And that is what they did.
Did they learn from their mistakes? That remains to be seen.
In 2010, we have an election year where, again, there are a lot of Democratic constituents who are displeased with their representatives. Their voices have been ignored regarding such important topics as gay rights, abortion, and health care. For gay rights and abortion, this is more serious since these are subjects where these supporters were made promises during the 2008 campaign but have been dissed to this point. Regarding health care, many Democrats particularly senior citizens loudly and clearly voiced their disapproval of a government-run program yet nary a compromise was struck by their votees.
Some people will undoubtedly vote for their party member regardless of how lame of a job that person has done on their behalf. But you can be assured that many place credence on actual issues as opposed to personalities. In this age of financial crisis, a mentality of what have you done for me lately is growing by leaps and bounds. What I plan to do personally (its called putting my money where my mouth is) is to start in my own neighborhood and inform as many people face to face as are willing to listen how their Congressperson or Senator has voted on key issues that directly affect them. For those whose minds are already made up, I likely wont get in the door in the first place. But for those who are either on the fence, who dont generally follow politics closely, or who arent aware of many of the issues, raised eyebrows are inevitable. And why wouldnt they be? Politics are very important because they touch everyones lives in some capacity, whether that person gives a hoot or not.
It rarely ceases to amaze me how there are so many who can quote a one hundred year old baseball statistic or who knows every word of Oprahs book but can not tell me who their Congressperson is. This is something that needs to change. And when it does, real change will follow.
Happy 2010
