Today is a rant day. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t plan to. I just listened to one too many political podcasts and said, “Enough.”
So, I decided to write an open letter to the Federal Government, State Governments, the DNC and the GOP.
But before we get into the dismal stuff, I thought you might enjoy this picture of an Iris that bloomed along the fence in my front yard. This is a plant that somehow managed to survive while all the construction went on to build my house.
Okay, now the letter.
Dear Sirs, Madams, or whoever might give a damn,
We need a complete overhaul of the election process.
It’s become increasingly clear, at least to this voter, that what we are doing now, and have been for too many years, has gotten totally out of hand.
I’m tired.
I’m tired of the months of campaigning that have seemed like years. Oh, wait, it has been years. Two exactly for the DNC & tRump started campaigning the day he took office.
I’m tired of being asked to take surveys to voice my opinion as to what candidate I might like to see in the Oval Office, and that survey is just a way to ask me to donate. I donate to campaigns. I support candidates. But I’d like to be able to give feedback without the response being tied to a donate button.
Which brings me to something else I’m tired of. The obscene amounts of money being spent, just on this year’s primaries alone. Certainly there’s a better way for the selection process to be handled.
There was a time, and I can remember this time well. I was just a child when I heard someone say that anybody could be president. It was believed that anybody, no matter their background or circumstances, could run for that highest office in our country. It made this poor white girl who’d been born on the Fourth of July and had a streak of patriotism a mile wide, believe.
Sadly, that is no longer true. Maybe it never really was. It’s only the people with money – the people with power – the people with the right connections who can succeed in the political arena. And unfortunately most of those people tend to be white men.
Perhaps it is long past the time to shorten the whole voting process. We don’t need primary races that start two years before the actual election. We don’t need people in government positions who have jobs to do, spend half or more of their time on re-election efforts.
Is there anybody out there who is studying political science who has an idea of how to fix what is wrong with the way we put a candidate in the White House, and others in Congress?
I sure hope so.
Okay, that’s the end of my rant for the day. And if you have ideas or suggestions, do leave a comment. Maybe somebody will take our ideas to heart and actually do something.
On another note, I do hope your week starts off well. Be safe. Be happy.
Well said! Could not agree more MaryAnn!
Thanks for stopping by and for the affirmation, Stacey. The support is much appreciated.
I believe every candidate should get equal time on TV and radio. We should not have people running who think they can buy any office by constant ads.
That’s a good idea. And if the whole campaign time was shortened – say to six months from start to finish – the public would not get sick of all the ads they shut their brains down. Mine is close to the melting point.
Couldn’t agree more, Maryann. Overturning Citizens United would help a lot. Also, dump the electoral college. The president should be decided by whoever gets the most votes. Then, there should be a time limit on campaigning. There should be enforceable laws against gerrymandering to. My two cents.
Those are great two cents worth of ideas, Polly. If only we could implement some kind of change. Is there nobody out there in a position to do anything willing to take a chance on a complete overhaul of the system?
I am not tired. I am angry. Angry that our government is run by people who seem more interested in getting reelected than meeting the needs of we the people. It seems like our government is for sale to who has the most money and can market themselves but not deliver on their problems.I’m angry that my vote can be over ridden by the electoral college. What happened to majority wins? I wish I had an answer. Even if I did I’m not sure I’d have the money to get it out there.
I’m angry, too. I think I went from sad, to angry, and now to tired in the last few years. In you last comment, “I’m not sure I’d have the money to get it out there” lies a basic problem with how things are done. Why can’t ordinary people with great minds get together and influence the powers that be? If the “powers” were working “for the people” they should listen to “the people.”