The Morning After
I went to bed last night knowing that the Democratic Party had taken control of the House of Representatives, and most likely would take the Senate as well. I woke up this morning, got ready for the day, and left for work. And I noticed something interesting:
Nothing.
Nothing at all had changed.
For all the clamor and name-calling and 'end of the world as we know it' Republican lamentation and 'In your face!' Democratic jubilation, my world is pretty much the same today as it was 48 hours ago. The sun still rose in the east this morning, and it looks like it'll set in the west tonight. Traffic on I-15 and SR201 is still heavy at times but generally smooth. Gas still costs more than it should, and my car still uses too much of it. People are still blowing each other up in the Middle East. Wendy's still offers the Caesar side salad instead of french fries.
What's all the fuss about? I don't think either major political party has a really firm grasp on what mainstream America thinks or wants or cares about right now. And I'm not convinced that the Democratic 'takeover' of Congress is going to impact most Americans, except for who's saying what on TV. The underdog has become overlord and vice versa. Ho hum, how predictably boring.
But if anyone's interested, here's what I would say to both sides:
To those on the far Right: This is your wake-up call. Once the horse is dead, beating it further doesn't help. Times change and even Republicans have to change with them. Being Conservative doesn't mean that you don't also have to be progressive. If it's not working—and the recent election results would seem to indicate that it's not—then you've got to let go of it and try something else. And try listening for a change. Stop telling us what we think and try asking us what we think.
To those on the far Left: It's time to put your money where your mouth is. You've been whining about how bad everything is for so long and saying that you could do better. Well, now's the time. Put up or shut up. You say it's broke, so fix it. And don't just change it—really fix it. 'Different' is not an adequate substitute for 'better'.
And to those who consider themselves moderates: Don't despair. There are still a few of us left, even if neither side seems to care what we think anymore.
Nothing.
Nothing at all had changed.
For all the clamor and name-calling and 'end of the world as we know it' Republican lamentation and 'In your face!' Democratic jubilation, my world is pretty much the same today as it was 48 hours ago. The sun still rose in the east this morning, and it looks like it'll set in the west tonight. Traffic on I-15 and SR201 is still heavy at times but generally smooth. Gas still costs more than it should, and my car still uses too much of it. People are still blowing each other up in the Middle East. Wendy's still offers the Caesar side salad instead of french fries.
What's all the fuss about? I don't think either major political party has a really firm grasp on what mainstream America thinks or wants or cares about right now. And I'm not convinced that the Democratic 'takeover' of Congress is going to impact most Americans, except for who's saying what on TV. The underdog has become overlord and vice versa. Ho hum, how predictably boring.
But if anyone's interested, here's what I would say to both sides:
To those on the far Right: This is your wake-up call. Once the horse is dead, beating it further doesn't help. Times change and even Republicans have to change with them. Being Conservative doesn't mean that you don't also have to be progressive. If it's not working—and the recent election results would seem to indicate that it's not—then you've got to let go of it and try something else. And try listening for a change. Stop telling us what we think and try asking us what we think.
To those on the far Left: It's time to put your money where your mouth is. You've been whining about how bad everything is for so long and saying that you could do better. Well, now's the time. Put up or shut up. You say it's broke, so fix it. And don't just change it—really fix it. 'Different' is not an adequate substitute for 'better'.
And to those who consider themselves moderates: Don't despair. There are still a few of us left, even if neither side seems to care what we think anymore.
posted by Michael at
4:49 PM
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