There is a grand disparity in how we judge political prowess and ability. The process of developing a like or dislike of any particular candidate has less to do with who they are and more about the internal processes of who the voter is and their individual expectations in relation to what they want from any particular candidate. As we all know voters are fickle, their demands capricious and erratic at best making me think that the process of how we judge our politicians needs to be upgraded.
The physical aspects of electioneering may be substandard as well but the act of voting is still, for the most part, a process of counting each and every individual vote is still a fairly good method of judging who wins and losses. Added to the basic process of counting votes are the issues of voter fraud, like counting dead people, made up people, dogs and cats, mice and rats but that is a different problem altogether. That is why we still count on the Electoral College to make some assurances that the vote of the people has not been infringed upon or subject to fraud or corruption. I am not suggesting that there is no fraud within the chosen delegates of the Electoral college but the incidents of misgivings are far less than within the general public.
Once we have a vote the process of determination is long past; it’s the process before the vote that needs to be changed. At present we judge our future leaders by what we think they said and what the media has reported to us about what they’ve done. At the same time we often forsake certain comments and actions from those that we are expected to like and support and fail to critique what was said or what was done because it fails to fit our previously defined positions. So we are hit with a barrage of disconnected sound and video bites that only show what the media and the particular candidate wants us to see.
Being a Republican of less report, running against a highly favorable Democrat will invariably create a negative balance due primarily to the established protocols and patterns of the incumbent. The same is true with a Democrat running against a favorable Republican. There is a small difference between the devotion of democrats and republicans with the Democrats exhibiting a greater sense of devotion toward their candidate and an unwillingness to accept the propositions or rhetoric of another just because of their party affiliation.
Of even greater concern is our inability to discern between the rhetoric of the now and the totality of a person’s life. This is not an easy process and the ability of the citizenry to uncover the truth is often hampered by the established political machinery that has been put into place to protect our leaders from their own foot in mouth discretions but only works for those the media favors. Even within our technological advances the machinery often misplaces the errant words with the excuses and justifications of “what was really said”.
Words do matter, but they matter a lot less now than they used to. What was said yesterday may be enough to destroy a candidacy, or if the “machinery” works well we may never hear the words that were spoken or be privy to the “reasons” for the words. So often the words can be manipulated and balanced to such a degree that whatever was said has no relationship with the voter or the voter simply doesn’t care enough to quibble over the consequences.
Let’s take Hillary and Trump. Two perfect examples of taking sides regardless of what was said or done. Their constituency is adamant and is often dogmatic to the point of denial. There is some truth to the process of choosing the best from the two that are available but in that process we forsake our own moral issues with what we believe and those expectations we have regarding the candidate of our choice. But when we only have two choices the morality of choosing despite the moral questions have to be made leaving most with the uncomfortable taste of choosing without really wanting or caring about that choice.
The problem is in how we make the decisions on how we vote and how we establish a relationship with the person of our choice. Words are not enough. We need to consider much more than the short words and sound bites that inundate us. We need to consider the totality of the candidate rather than the insincere aspects of developing a sounding board just so they don’t have to delve deep into their own psyche or beliefs. It’s amazing the influences of a well-placed word or phrase and the impact on our beliefs.
Madison Avenue has also learned the relationship between the jingle and the phrase with every commercial vying for our support of this or that product or service. Politicians have morphed into high paid account reps working for any advertising firm. Their words are moderated, planned, organized and totally meaningless in relation to who the candidate really is.
If we are to believe the press, Trump is nothing more than a pandering dunce, a ridiculous example of prosperity and function. Hillary’s position with the press is slightly better do in part to their propensity toward liberalism but to most she is nothing more than a practiced politician who knows what to say and when but when she is off track her persona is reported to be quite different.
Understanding who a candidate is cannot be derived from the words alone. Man is often the victim of their words and very few have the ability (like our politicians) to have control over what was said. Trump has not developed that skill nor does he have the machinery to whir into motion when words have been misspoken or spoken when they shouldn’t have been said at all.
Trump choses in many instances to speak without filtering his words, unlike a politician. But unlike a politician he does not understand the effectiveness of the machinery to downplay or soften what was said after the fact. Does this inability make him a poor candidate? And before you answer that question remove yourself from the political framework that automatically designates your beliefs as a republican or democrat. Move away from politics and look only at the candidates. What have they done? What are they really saying? What will happen if they are able to implement their goals for the country?
Look at both candidates and balance what you believe, truly believe with what you suspect they believe. Look critically at those differences and balance those differences with your own moral standards making a conscious effort to understand how those differences will affect you and your standards. Never, just vote. Vote from a point of knowledge and understanding. Functionally the day of the election should take place in such a manner to ensure that all votes matter, with the process ensuring that all states have the same voice and perhaps the same time frame to vote.
We all know that Trump is the President Elect and will be leading the United States as its next President. How he won will be a debated topic for years to come but the bottom line is he transformed the electoral process by undermining the established political machinery that was so entrenched that no one understood the realities of the steaming angst and discord of the population.
Perhaps in this monumental upset the politics of this country has learned to some degree that the people come first , that this is a government of the people, by the people, for the people, and despite the best efforts of those at the top the voice of the people rang true and forced a scenario of change so far away from the norm that no one knew what was coming.
No one really knows what will come or the effects of a Trump administration but the message was clear, the people wanted something different and Trump was their answer. They knew what they had, they understood Obama and HIllary, they understood the massive bureaucracy, the constant efforts by the government to impinge upon the free thought and motivations and wanted a change of direction.
My hope is that Trump is able to rise above the vitriolic rhetoric and forge a new path of opportunity based on those fundamental freedoms that are outlined in our Constitution and be able to sustain the promised growth and prosperity promised during the election.
Perhaps I am grasping at floating straws strewn about from the winds of a terrible storm but based on my perspective, and you know I am always right, those thin and almost invisible straws are all we had left to reach for. Those straws represent hope for a new future and a new responsible government that Truly is a Government of the People, by the People and for the People.
God Bless America.
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