The System is Broken

Today is election day. In the Cd'A area we're looking at municipal races. A year from now, we'll be heading to the polls for another presidential election. It seems like now is an appropriate time to analyze all that is wrong in the world of politics.

Those that are running for office (and to a lesser extent those that are dialed in to the political realms) are swinging from one of two irreconcilable extremes. Those differences can easily be broken down with the issues below. Prepare for some gross over-generalizations.

The Role of Government:

The liberal view: The public sector can do everything better than the private sector.

The conservative view: The private sector can do everything better than the public sector.

Public Education:

The liberal view: Our schools are broken, we should do the same thing we've always done - just with more money.

The conservative view: Our schools are broken, we should get rid of them and force everyone to pay for private education.

Government regulations:

The liberal view: The government should have no control of moral issues, but they should regulate everything else.

The conservative view: The government should have no control over any aspect of our lives, except for moral issues.

Class Warfare:

The liberal view: The rich have exploited every loophole at the expense of the poor.

The conservative view: The poor are lazy moochers at the expense of the rich.

Grassroots Organizations:

The liberal view: The Tea Party is composed of racists that are ignorant of history.

The conservative view: OWS protesters are a bunch of disorganized and violent anarchists.

Taxes:

The liberal view: It's a necessary evil. We need more.

The conservative view: It's an unnecessary evil. We need less.

Social Services:

The liberal view: The disadvantaged are incapable of success with out it.

The conservative view: The disadvantaged are incapable of success because of it.

Opposing Viewpoints:

The liberal view: Conservatives are brainless morons who must be stopped at all costs.

The conservative view: Liberals are vile and manipulative morons who must be stopped at all costs.

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Problem number one: The majority of Americans do not exist at either end of the red and blue spectrum. The majority live in that vast purple area between the two extremes.

Problem number two: Politicians that enter the playing field from that purple area are unelectable. They are vilified as a DINO or a RINO and are ostracized by their own party. With out partisan support, they face an uphill battle running as an independent candidate.

Problem number three: Those that live purple don't vote purple. We continue to support the crazy ideologues pandering to the wackiest segment of their own party. This insanity exists because we continue to support it year after year with blind strait party voting habits.