In the last presidential campaign there was a clear attempt at passing the baton from George W Bush into the noble and aged hands of John McCain. This bastion of conservatism bolstered by decades of idol worship (and idle worship) led to the uniform dismissal of anyone standing opposed to the platforms and policies laid out over the past few decades.
After Obama was elected oddly, predictably, and sadly enough many of the Bush programs and policies remained. There seemed to be a stranglehold on many parts of the political process involving everything from the Bush tax cuts (better than having a disease named after you?) to a failed interventionist foreign policy.
But today a new and not so sure footed opposition to the status quo is gaining momentum under a massive movement known as the Tea Party. Strangely enough, as these Tea Party approved candidates gain status and momentum they are increasingly surrounded by new leaders and misguided ideals embraced with moral certitude just as countless Neo-Cons did in the last decade (remember that era?).
Thusly the Republican Party has become a house divided as not seen in recent history. The current slate of candidates range from religious conservatives heckbent on restoring morality and Christian values to Tea Party elites who want the government to stop wasting money on anything not important to them and to enforce a moral codex as well.
The flashes of brilliance seen in some of these candidates accounts for much of their popularity. Economically they have espoused the talking points of fiscally responsible government while appealing to a moral populace. Sadly their voting record, if they have one, contradicts these endless series of platitudes. Leaving one to conclude that these flashes of brilliance were just that. A flash.
A brilliant idea shared but not implemented is not so brilliant.
Unless you simply like being a joiner, supporting most of the current GOP arsenal of candidates is a waste of time (Ron Paul excepted) as they are simply a front for a deeper and darker reality. That involves the tract that keeps the flood streams of wealth pointed towards the individuals also known as corporations. These entities status is not in jeopardy if these candidates and their mainstream media cohorts repeat the cycle of electoral madness.
To put it plainly, the American economy is a misguided missile of misery aimed at the heart of future generations of Americans yet to be conceived. Fiscal irresponsibility is eating away at the nation and the candidates at hand seem content to bask in the glory of minor changes and achievements.
There is not an aspect of the American political entity that does not need reform and modification.
Education needs to be brought out of the dark industrial ages. Health care and health insurance reform need to be revamped. Our tax system has more loopholes than a hula hoop factory. Our foreign policy is expensive and ill advised (this includes our militarism). We need to bring our troops home from any plavce that does not threaten us. We also have a large problem wasting billions of taxpayer dollars on consenting adults. it's an addiction we need to break.
This nation is a house divided and it will continue to suffer so long as it continues to reject common sense, reason, and so long as it continues to move away from the simple concept of being socially tolerant and fiscally responsible.
To revisit an old adage by G. W. Bush, what messages are we sending to our enemies? What signals are we sending to our friends? If you keep blowing the balloon it will eventually pop. So stop huffing and puffing, as you are blowing our children's future apart.
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