Quote:
Originally posted by LXAAlum
[B]
At this point, the undecideds (independants, etc....) are the primary audience. The core is already locked up for both, so the remnants are now the target (I've heard them referred to as "table scraps" before....LOL....the core from each side doesn't have much respect for those who don't have party loyalty).
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Politics has really become an all-or-nothing proposition for the folks in power.
Either you're with Bush, or you're against him.
Either you're with Kerry, or you're against him.
Especially up on the Hill, in our assemblies, etc., it seems that moderates, true conservatives (you know, the kind that doesn't go around thumping their Bibles at undesirables) are being constantly marginalized. It seems like to get anything done in congress, you have to either be a political personality that runs the talk-show circuit (a la John McCain) or you have to be a party-line voter... Loyalty is rewarded.
Our government needs some fundamental changes. The budgeting system needs to be completely overhauled. Federal positions need to be streamlined for efficiency. Fix some of the loopholes in our social services. My youngest brother lives in an apartment complex by OU that is largely section 8. Some of those people are very PROUD about how they abuse the system. All you have to do to keep the checks coming is go apply (and get turned down for) one job per week. Social workers are instructed to give checks out and not to bother with asking questions -- would be too much work and strain on the system.
Federal money is viewed by many as if it's just free money from some faceless entity. When people receive those checks for doing nothing, they could care less that those checks were taken from people they don't even know that work for their money.
Sorry for my rant/tangent, but it just seems that there is absolutely no common sense whatsoever in our government. They acknowledge problems, yet do nothing to solve them -- in fact, we had another year of pork barrel BS this year. It's not Bush, it's not really any ONE person. Sure, Bush could stop it, but at the end of the day, the legislature has the power to push these things through (I don't think they would have any issues with overriding a veto on a spending bill). Pork Barrel is what they promise their constituents if they don't deliver, they get fired.
I'm not sure if it's our culture, or if it's just a groove that we've settled into as a society. This'll catch up with use sooner or later.