Being a member of the Democratic Party, for the time being, I of course am a recipient of their e-mails. Usually that is no big deal, but I got one recently that both brought me hope, and yet filled me with apprehension.
The apprehension comes from the fact that what is happening is that the Democratic Party is becoming entrenched. In the stae of Mississippi, they have gone to a staff of five full timers. The result was a resounding sewwp of special election seats. In Ohio they are creating permanent organizing teams. And in Nebraska, where they spent $12,000 on the 2004 election ccyle, they are now spending ten times that on three full time staff and a spokesperson.
So what is my apprehension about? It's about another party becoming entrenched and so beyond the reach of ordinary Americans. The USA Today said, "When Howard Dean ran for chairman of the Democratic National Committee, he promised state parties he would spread money and professionals around the country...."
There are two buzzwords there that make politics what they are: money, and professional.
Need I say that money has all but destroyed American politics? Even Democrats? William Jefferson recently was caught, well, video-taped, taking a bribe. Representative Mollohan is under the looking glass for unethical behavior. And I read regularly that Senator Reid of Nevada takes regular flights on corporate jets.
Just a scan reading of the "reform" legislation is enough to see that it has no teeth. But it gives politicians something to point at and say, "See, you can trust US...." Not that Democratic greed has reached the scale of the Republicans. The Abramoff scandal, while still unfolding, has been proof of that. The Republican war profiteering that has almost $10 billion dollars unaccounted for, and plenty more in no-bid contracts with questionable products and/or services is all over the news services this past year.
And do we really need a "professional" political system? Isn't that what we rebelled against back in the 18th century? A system that locked out the average citizen by virtue of lack of title, or money? And what type of candidate does this type of system center around? The average guy that won't bring in the corporate donations? That would happen if enough average Americans were elected, and passed legislation that made the economic lives of average Americans better on a scale that allowed those average Americans to donate enough to a 50 state party that was staffed by full timers to pour money into more average American candidates. However, that's like spending a buck to make a dime, and I'm willing to bet that even the DNC isn't willing to do that. Not unless the political culture changes, wherby millions aren't necessary to advertise how bad my opponent is and how good I am.
My hope is that there will a removal of the current administration to begin to right many of the wrongs that have perpetrated agaisnt the average Americans(which most politicians aren't), and to hopefully open up the political process to real choices. In other words, to buy some time where Americans can make their voices and needs heard, and hopefully find some true public servants who will develop solutions to those very real needs.
Sounds like a snowballs chance doesn't it?
Remember this. Ther is no "state." No "government." Not in the sense that they are separate entities. If all the people left the various capitals around the country, what would be happening, besides a lot of peace? Nothing. WE are the state. WE are the government. State parks, for example, are OURS. They are paid for by OUR money. Not "state" money, as if it were separate from ours.
This is the essence of "We The People." Our founders did not sacrifice what they did for what we have currently. It has been said, and not by Jefferson, that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. In our America, that doesn't mean by the CIA, the DoD, or the NSA. Not the BTFA, DHS, or the FBI. That vigilance belongs to you and I.
Because we are the people.
