Are They Turning On President George Bush?
Ken Hughes
November 26, 2005
Is Congress turning away from George Bush or simply turning to the center to attract voters? Or perhaps history is repeating itself when Presidents start to loose their glitter for the less attractive brass. Nothing satisfies a voter more than listening to a politician with an opinion that agrees with everyone. It’s not just one party that’s made a mad dash for centrist [aka independent] voters. In order for Republicans to win Blue states and Democrats to win Red states, each must appeal to voters in those states. The voters aren’t going to change; therefore, the politicians must change and change they do.
Every politician insists he or she is running on his or her record. All too frequently we find those record’s have been altered and distorted to fit the immediate accusation. If politicians ran on their true records there’d be no reason to discuss term limits, voters would take care of weeding out the incompetent ones in congress. The voters want men and women who stand firmly for their beliefs. Here lays the problem: few members of Congress have firm beliefs. They’re so intimidated by political pollsters they’re unwilling to make a firm commitment for fear it isn’t what the public thinks.
The Iraq war is an excellent example. Fifty percent [plus] of those Americans polled believe we should stay the course in Iraq until the Iraqis can do the job themselves. Yet we have more politicians on both sides wavering, thinking what if the pollsters got it wrong. This isn’t the commitment voters are looking for; polls shouldn’t dictate the course our government takes. Nor should appearances before television cameras determine the outcome of legislation. The media has more influence on legislative outcome than the will of the people. Last week I meet with a candidate for the United States Senate. If he were elected to the Senate and his proposals were excepted and instilled by his fellow congressional representatives America would become a utopia. When and if he becomes my next Senator I doubt much will change except my Senators commitments.
The United States Congress is comprised of men and women from as far north as the Artic Circle, as far west as the South Pacific, as far south as the Virgin Islands, and as far east as the tip of Maine. They come from every walk of life, every ethnic background, every religious belief, or not. They’re as diverse a group as every attempted to govern a nation. Yet they manage to come together and administer the greatest society the world has ever known. Are we a nation of malcontents as some suggest, or are we a nation the world has given it’s best and brightest? People gravitate to America for it’s personal freedoms, and personal opportunities. There’s no other nation on earth that can make this claim. From these men and women we select our politicians and pray for the best results possible.
Thomas Jefferson made the following quote in a letter to John Dickinson in 1801. “The greatest good we can do our country is to heal it’s party divisions and make them one people.” I doubt he meant we should have only one political party. I think what he meant was we should agree on one course and work for the greater good. The political hostility that prevails now won’t tolerated by the voters for long. We’re paying for performance and it’s performance we’ll demand, that or change.
Liberalism and political correctness are experiments that’ve over stayed their invitation. Government can’t supply the peoples needs and desires for a better life. Only capitalism that thrives on the brilliance of the individual can sustain and propel us forward. Americans aren’t easily tamed and brought under the control of others. We prefer to be in control of our own destiny and have others do the same.
America is only a few months away from going to the polls and selecting a portion of a new congress. My I suggest the selfish approach, “Ask not what they’ll do for the country, ask rather what they’ll do for me as an individual.” That may sound self_serving but the other way isn’t working.
“A Very Mary Christmas To All.” I’ll be repeating this message until the Atheists get it.
Every politician insists he or she is running on his or her record. All too frequently we find those record’s have been altered and distorted to fit the immediate accusation. If politicians ran on their true records there’d be no reason to discuss term limits, voters would take care of weeding out the incompetent ones in congress. The voters want men and women who stand firmly for their beliefs. Here lays the problem: few members of Congress have firm beliefs. They’re so intimidated by political pollsters they’re unwilling to make a firm commitment for fear it isn’t what the public thinks.
The Iraq war is an excellent example. Fifty percent [plus] of those Americans polled believe we should stay the course in Iraq until the Iraqis can do the job themselves. Yet we have more politicians on both sides wavering, thinking what if the pollsters got it wrong. This isn’t the commitment voters are looking for; polls shouldn’t dictate the course our government takes. Nor should appearances before television cameras determine the outcome of legislation. The media has more influence on legislative outcome than the will of the people. Last week I meet with a candidate for the United States Senate. If he were elected to the Senate and his proposals were excepted and instilled by his fellow congressional representatives America would become a utopia. When and if he becomes my next Senator I doubt much will change except my Senators commitments.
The United States Congress is comprised of men and women from as far north as the Artic Circle, as far west as the South Pacific, as far south as the Virgin Islands, and as far east as the tip of Maine. They come from every walk of life, every ethnic background, every religious belief, or not. They’re as diverse a group as every attempted to govern a nation. Yet they manage to come together and administer the greatest society the world has ever known. Are we a nation of malcontents as some suggest, or are we a nation the world has given it’s best and brightest? People gravitate to America for it’s personal freedoms, and personal opportunities. There’s no other nation on earth that can make this claim. From these men and women we select our politicians and pray for the best results possible.
Thomas Jefferson made the following quote in a letter to John Dickinson in 1801. “The greatest good we can do our country is to heal it’s party divisions and make them one people.” I doubt he meant we should have only one political party. I think what he meant was we should agree on one course and work for the greater good. The political hostility that prevails now won’t tolerated by the voters for long. We’re paying for performance and it’s performance we’ll demand, that or change.
Liberalism and political correctness are experiments that’ve over stayed their invitation. Government can’t supply the peoples needs and desires for a better life. Only capitalism that thrives on the brilliance of the individual can sustain and propel us forward. Americans aren’t easily tamed and brought under the control of others. We prefer to be in control of our own destiny and have others do the same.
America is only a few months away from going to the polls and selecting a portion of a new congress. My I suggest the selfish approach, “Ask not what they’ll do for the country, ask rather what they’ll do for me as an individual.” That may sound self_serving but the other way isn’t working.
“A Very Mary Christmas To All.” I’ll be repeating this message until the Atheists get it.
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