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January 5, 2010
Will 2010 Really Be Different?
Despite the pundit declaration that we’re in new political territory, I wholeheartedly disagree. We’ve been here before, just not to this degree.
Should liberal arrogance continue, the 2010 midterms could be a political sadist’s fantasy. Some of the writing has been grafittied on the wall as many aren’t even bothering to reapply for their jobs. They know election year humility and/or begging for forgiveness won’t work this cycle.
Conservatives are seriously poised to strike the whole gold mine without really even digging, and that could make this fall’s election closer than some may think.
Many factions are developing. Some people like this candidate, some remember a statement, or a position, and a perceived commitment to conservatism. But like I said, we’ve been here before. Will we be electing the real deal or more phonies who’ll use liberal malfeasance as an opening to get them in so they can blow us off again?
You’d think the tea parties would have awakened the elected, but if the nation comes through and cleans House, we know what the politicians will get out of it. What about us?
We really don’t know because despite the façade, the candidates really won’t tell us.
Unless you’re an O’Reilly or The View or C-SPAN, those who would be installed couldn’t be bothered to talk to us. We watch the interviews some are granting at this time. While some of the questions are somewhat provocative, the answers we get are still safe and somewhat vague. You know the saying: “Ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies.”
As someone with a respectable reader/viewership, I have concerns that many here have and would like answered, but the politicians involved don’t respond to requests for interviews. It’s more than frustrating for many in the blogosphere (whom the pending campaigns will expect to deliver their message and give of our time to install them in power) that candidates, real or perceived, could give us the time of day when we request justification for blind loyalty.
Thousands of people nationwide will be expected to give of their free time and disposable income for a cause greater than themselves. Promises will be made (again) and we’ll be asked to trust them to do the right thing (again). While many of us still have very visible scars on our backs where our trusted politicians have stabbed us repeatedly, they will (again) have us believe this time will be different.
While the polls indicate November’s election may be a cakewalk for conservatives, I think we should step back for a moment and consider the power we really do have. We have the power to make Decision 2010 (or whatever they’ll call it). We can either hand conservatives a major victory or show the world just how impotent and irrelevant they may be.
These people who desire this power need to reach out to us for a change. They need to show humility. They must show a willingness to listen to what the people who put them in office (with all the perks of power) want and deliver without the sideline maneuvering and compromise that’s gotten us into the mess we’re in today.
I’d hope Americans would get tangible commitments from politicians, only after having time to discuss their concerns personally. That’s not an unreasonable request. Candidates could spend an hour a week being interviewed by a blogger, or Tweeting/chatting with a social network group and show those who’ll be asked to knock on doors or stand on the streets with signs that we matter. That they’ll be representing us; not ruling over us….
If they have the time to meet with (and suck up to) the media hostiles, they need to communicate with those who need a slight tap to fall off the right side of fence.
If they won’t explain themselves to us now, imagine how much harder it’ll be for us to get them to listen to us later?
We have been here before. Liberals may be a higher profile action line, but we’ve seen this election scenario before and we’ve been burned more times than not. Will we let them promise never to hit us again, yet wince every time they get in our face demanding support?
There are a few people out there we could support, and judging from the troll traffic last fall, what we say may be of some influence. But we’re also tired of being blown off by people who can’t give us a few minutes of their time but expect us to give up weeks (if not months) of ours to put them in power.
Will 2010 really be different with so much at stake? There’s no way that can be answered when our politicians won’t really tell us how, and if they won’t tell us how, they’re no different than those we seek to oust.
It’s not up to us.
It’ll be up to them again, and that’s kind of scary.
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributor Bob Parks is an internationally-read political and social columnist. E-mail Bob at blackandright@gmail.com
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