Politics

It was inevitable that I would post about politics. With the Republican National Convention going on right now, and the Democrat Convention still cooling off, it felt like a good time to write about the whole mess.

In general, both parties suck. No one candidate for public office is appealing and none currently in office deserves to be there. Especially on the federal level.

My belief is that those in office are either "Politicians" or "elected officials." The difference? Politicians only seek to prolong their time in office and only do whatever is necessary to win re-election. They are a sort of junkie. Try it once and feel real good, then do whatever it takes to keep that high. Elected officials are the extreme minority. They are the people that want to see government serve the people and will do whatever it takes to make sure that that responsibility is met. If they can do it in one term, great. If it takes more, they keep going. If it means making an unpopular decision that will end their career, but it was the right thing to do to benefit everyone, then they sacrifice their office.

Politicians, by their very nature, cannot bring themselves to make a wholly unpopular decision. They might upset a few on one side, but please others. So, they make a second decision to placate the upset few, but in turn upset others. It's like telling a lie and then telling other lies to keep the first lie from being discovered. It's just much more simple to tell the truth the first time. And, to tell an honest truth sometimes hurts. But, it's easier to keep track of. And, everyone will appreciate the honesty in the long run.

The main reason I bring up politics in this post is because I don't like politicians. I wish every level of government was easier for people to be involved in. The higher the position, the more money it takes and the more likely it is for that position to be filled with a politician. And, NOT an elected official. But, it's not just the federal level with the presidency. It's the state level. The town/village/city level. The county level. The school board level. If you don't have money, it's difficult to make an effort to run of any given office. But, if you have lots and lots of money, it's very, very easy.

Politicians, again by their very nature, have a vast interest in money. They have it. They want it. They want yours. They spend and waste it. They never put it to good use.

Elected officials do what is necessary to raise the money to run for office and they only spend what is necessary before, during and after their election. They are practical, pragmatic and, most important, responsible and responsive. An elected official (it would be redundant to say "a good elected official, by nature all elected officials are good) is interested in one thing: serving the public interest well.

I do not believe that any of the candidates for any of the federal offices are capable of being elected officials. They are politicians and will make decisions that benefit themselves by appeasing those that helped put them in office.

Specifically, Obama and McCain have their own special interest groups they are obligated to appease. Biden has a long list of them as well. Palin doesn't have a long list, but the "conservative base" she appeals to is bad enough.

But, religion is a whole different subject. And, religion AND politics will be covered after that. I'm sure.