Who's Even Paying Attention?

I know I've been away from this blog for awhile, and I left in the middle of a ten part series on Domestic Issues (which I've mostly written by the way, I just haven't put it up yet). But I have to be honest, what is there that's really going on?

Congressional approval right now in this country is in the 30's, as in 30%. Bush's numbers are just as bad. The people of this country don't trust or approve of their government, and the government is doing absolutely nothing to change our perception. They get all worked up over an immigration bill that can't pass. They make an energy bill riddled with giveaways to interest groups and cuts many helpful provisions for consumers, and likely they'll soon pass a 50 billion dollar farm bill that gives more money away to giant agribusinesses.

Elections are 15 months away in this country, and I have only one thing to say: don't vote for the incumbent. You can still vote for your party, just not the guy in office. We need to send a wakeup call that reelection isn't a lock, and they need to spend more time pleasing us and less time sucking up to money spigots so they can brainwash us into electing them. If they want my vote they have to earn it through good governance, not scaring me into believing the other guy is just a little bit worse than he is. Our country fifty years ago had a less than 20% incumbency rate, and not it's above 70%. At what point did we decide that letting these guys stay in office for decades at a time was a good idea?

I think we need to let one party have the reins of government for awhile, and that means electing more Democrats so they won't be stymied by Republicans. We need to elect a Democratic president, and at the moment I'm waffling back and forth between Obama, who has a vigor, charisma and energy that make me excited to be both a Democrat and American, and Hillary, who I think has a lot of great technical solutions for the problems in the country. The other Democrats are fine, well, not Mike Gravel or Dennis Kucinich, but they'll never have the power to get into the White House, and frankly they don't have any sort of awe inspiring qualities.

I think Bush and the Republicans had six years to be good at government and they showed us for six years that they suck at it. I think Democrats were voted into power to change things, and they still aren't able to because their majority is too slim and the President too thick headed and stubborn to compromise. So I want them to have control of both houses, and I want new guys in those seats. We need to set the reset switch in Washington and get this country back on the right track. I'm sick to death of partisan sniping, and yes, I sometimes participate in it myself, but I don't hate Republicans, I don't even dislike them, I just don't like their ideas, their policies, or their dogma. I'm not a huge fan of Democrats these days either, but I at least have faith that they will not only NOT run us more into the ground, they might even help dig us out of this hole we're in.

Whatever you do, don't vote for the status quo. And even if it is hard, with all the same ole same ole crap that is going on there right now (from failed legislation to Cheney breaking the law again, to Bush pardoning a loyal ally), try your hardest to pay attention to what is going on right now. The angrier you get with every curve ball they try and throw you, the more charged you will be with November 7, 2008 rolls around.