The Polarizing Effect of Politics Doesn't Help Us
Posted: Monday, February 16, 2009
by Mike Fak
http://mikefak.com
I went to a Republican dinner last week. I usually don't go to those. I also skip Democratic get togethers as well as all it is preaching to the choir and it shouldn't really be considered news.
This year it was Lincoln's 200th birthday and that coupled with a new governor, the old being impeached who is a Democrat, made me think this might at least give me background for coming stories.
Now I knew most of the 175 plus people there and there were some good laughs as most of them are Republicans and they had the right to their jokes at our impeached governor.
After all, just four years ago, the Democrats had their laughs when Republican Governor George Ryan got thrown into jail
I was amazed how the Republican hierarchy already had their talking points memorized for the 2010 gubernatorial election. It was almost like I could have asked one senator to say something and then just put ditto marks on my note pad as I talked to others.
I will give credit to the Republican Chairman. He was on a hit and leave timetable at the dinner, but did sit down with me for a few minutes before leaving for Springfield.
Again I heard many of the same statements that I had heard previously and I found myself pushing hard to get something original.
Finally I did and I gave my thanks and let the man run off into the dark night.
Now by no means is this rehearsed spontaneous dialogue something that is endemic to Republicans. The Democrats also have their carefully rehearsed little ditties that they say over and over again.
The question is why won't both parties just set a platform and then allow individuality in how that is presented?
Why also do both parties consider it essential to condemn every single person and every single idea presented by the other party as inept, or incompetent, or having ulterior motives that are against the good of the American people?
It is getting ridiculous on the cable stations and the airwaves as well. Nothing is really looked at objectively by any of these pundits. Everything is slanted one way or the other and there is no exception.
It has come to the point that these so called pundits with their own little nest of talking points have become hate-mongers.
They revel in telling us what is wrong, what to fear and who to hate. Always the answers to those problems are the other political party.
They even are working on revisionist history, depending on which persuasion they belong to, they tell viewers who all the great presidents were and which ones were terrible. But since the demarcation from great to terrible always lines up with a specific political party, how can anyone consider their opinions as objective.
Of course their programs bring in huge numbers as those who want to be told that their decisions politically are always right helps feed a society that has been inbred to always look to others with a different philosophy for the blame of the problems in their lives. After all, finding out one might be wrong just doesn't fuel anything except perhaps the opportunity to change one's mind and that is now considered flip-flopping which is some kind of terrible thing. It used to be that a person could see they made a mistake and change their mind or perhaps even be convinced by another that they were wrong. But we don't do that anymore. It is better to be wrong and make a bad situation worse than to flip-flop and maybe save lives or families or the American way.
I really did enjoy my evening. There were a lot of great people there who are in fact are better persons than I. I just wish that when a name is brought up to them of someone that is running for office that the first thing out of their mouths was what is the person like. Instead it is what political party are they with.
Political affiliation has gone to the point of prejudice. And prejudice never will be a strength of any republic.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)If we can stop swooning, let's review some of Barack Obama's most recent actions since he was inaugurated a mnth ago:* His first call to any head of state as president was to Mahmoud Abbas, leader of Fatah party in the Palestinian territory.* His first one on one interview with any news organization was with Al Arabia television.* He ordered Guantanamo Bay closed and all military trials of detainees halted.* He ordered all overseas CIA interrogation centers closed.* He withdrew all charges against the masterminds behind the USS Cole and 9/11.* By executive order, President Hussein Obama has ordered the expenditure of $20.3 million in migration assistance to the Palestinian refugees and conflict victims in Gaza. The "presidential determination" which allows hundreds of thousands of Palestinians with ties to Hamas to resettle in the United States was signed on January 27 and appeared in the Federal Register on February 4.President Obama's decision, according to the Register, was necessitated by "the urgent refugee and migration needs" of the "victims."Anyone else seeing a pattern here?Jim BrownFlint, TX [:smiley14:]Sorry Jim, I don't swoon. I also don't drink anyone's Kool Aid.An interesting news story today. Republican governors endorsed the president's stimulus package.Mike
Jim, I could list a diatribe of bad decisions made by President Bush but there aren't enough minutes in the day to allow for a rebuttal from you. What is wrong with you? You are part of the problem.Hello Kim. It's alright. Let's all just enjoy the fact people can say things like that in our country and not have a knock on their door.It's funny how people can object to a centrist column. In effect it honks off people on both sides. Thanks for reading.Mike
You know, Mike, that these guys all came to the dinner with the same little 'quote' card in their pockets---except of course, the guy who ran off into the night. I'm also with you--I don't swoon, either--at least not since I turned 60.Thanks for your usual--great read. I may not always comment, but I always read--you're too smart for me. But I never mind getting in over my head--who knows, this old dog might learn a new trick.SandraThanks Sandra. I read your stuff so I know you have a good noggin attached to your shoulders.I am just concerned that people don't want to spend the time to find out if something is the truth, a half-truth or just plain hooey.Mike
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