Melancholy Politics And The Status Quo

This is one of the few times you'll see me write about politics.

Here's some info most my friends don't know: I'm a registered Republican. Years have gone by and I've never switched parties because I saw it as unimportant since who really cares what you registered as as long as you vote on election day. I have had forms sitting on my desk before elections (including now) and somehow never get around to mailing the changes in. Why did I register Republican? The world was different. I was different. I had listened to the rhetoric thrown at me by people who I trusted and since there was a war going on in Kuwait at the time, I wanted to make sure that my graduation year and beyond went by without the dreaded draft (yeah, at 18, you always have that "what if" idea in your head) and a swift military action was my idea of an answer.

I've been fortunate the past few years, but many have had it rough and I'm not sure they could go through four more years of the same. The economy is rough. Gas prices are ridiculously high. Food costs more. Whether we are or aren't in a recession, no one wants to admit it. Yesterday our President was asked when the economy would turn around and I heard our Commander in Chief respond "I'm not an economist." I was interested in the Democratic head to head between Obama and Clinton because for a moment I thought maybe things would be different, but after the winner was chosen, we turned back to politics as usual. Maybe there's a little less crap and smack being thrown around but it is still obvious that we've returned to the status quo. The latest election news I've seen is about the off-color comments Jesse Jackson made about Obama and I think I heard McCain received his new AARP card this week.

Who cares? Maybe THIS is the reason why a vast majority of Americans are apathetic to the electoral process. Maybe no one cares because in the end, it's all the same, the face in charge is just different. No one expects changes overnight, but people expect an attempt at change. At least try! This Democratic Congress gave up trying to change policy after being fought at every turn. It's YOUR JOB to FIGHT! The people you represent demand it! If you can't fulfill the duties of your office then step down. Even better - take a pay cut or work for free. At least then we'll know you really want the position and are up to the task.

What's wrong with hope? What's wrong with hoping that 2 or 3 years down the line the world has a better global view on us and our global impact. I don't want it to be any less safe, I just want people to look at my country and not think that all of us are cowboys.

I feel disillusioned. The excitement I felt for what was to be a historic election is no longer there. Will I still vote? Absolutely. I'll go through the motions because deep down I still hope the system can correct itself. I hope all those things I read in textbooks in high school are true and that the people will force the change, but I've seen the people's choice been ignored before.
I hope there is more to this election than what I see now. I hope.

There's that word again...