Now that the Iowa caucuses have come and gone, I think it is time to face the realities of Democratic governmental politics.
We have seen a number of people run through a political gauntlet in Iowa and we have the results of those people giving the American people absolutely no basis for judging them, other than how well they can damn the present President and the other members of the caucus field.
And I”m sure the same would be said if the people in question were far left rather than far right.
Theoretically we have a two-party political system. The last time we tried a three-party system, we got the worst example of national leadership, in terms of the effect on our country, in our country”s history.
As far as I can see, the way this country goes about selecting leaders is at least bassackward.
We seek leaders who we can hope will lead the government toward the goals, we the people, seek, but we seem to have a selection system far more aimed at selecting a dictator than a representative of the people they represent.
I think a major improvement would be to make it mandatory for each party to create, publish and publicize a detailed and specific platform that outlines the party”s goals and objectives for the next administrative period.
Start off with how each party defines its responsibilities concerning public health care, food and shelter issues, education and then start to specifically detail the things the voters are deeply concerned with such as: How best to pay for health care, Social Security, how to reduce defense spending to an acceptable level, how best to try to achieve the development of jobs and public lifestyle (over a relatively short term), and how best to approach budget balancing considering the points above, and this has to include proposed spending reductions and revenue increases ? both absolutely necessary if we are to approach balancing the budget immigration and so on.
As the saying goes, “when you find yourself at the bottom of a hole, stop digging!”
This country is fortunate to have many gifted potential nominees.
But until the voters have the opportunity to compare how each of them would try to lead their party to achieve it goal, how on earth can we evaluate them in terms of representing us?
This should not be, and cannot be, a competition of egos and personal values.
Unless I am misled, the two party representatives with the greatest power and standing are the heads of the caucuses in both the Congressional houses. If these people are so good/powerful, why are they not mandated to be included in the list of performers?
Guthrie “Guff” Worth
Lakeport
