A political burnout

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You may have noticed that I haven’t been posting much political stuff here lately.

I KNOW! Shocking, isn’t it? I still post the occasional thing on Facebook, and more rarely on Twitter (Twitter is more like my Fun Place™), but for a political junkie like me, it’s weird to not be posting as much about politics.

The truth is that I’m a little worn out from it all. I was so obsessive about involved in the ‘08 and ‘12 presidential elections, with ‘10 thrown in there for good measure, and I had a lot of fun with that. But as I’ve seen the obstructionist gridlock continue in Washington, I’ve become angry and jaded and tired of the whole damn mess. I avoid most political discussions on Facebook, because I’m just tired of it all.

As far as I’m concerned, Congress can go suck a bag of dicks. There are absolutely some great people who are fighting for the average folks and who are not beholden to corporations, lobbyists, and special interest groups, but they are few and far between. I don’t think I’ve ever been so disgusted as when Congress failed to pass stricter background checks on gun purchases. I wanted to give every single one of them who voted against it a great big punch in the face. A few bloodied knuckles would have been well worth it.

To use one of our President’s favorite phrases, let me make this perfectly clear. Although I am not happy with everything President Obama is doing or has done, at least he is TRYING to get shit done. The majority of the American people want immigration reform; we want more stringent background checks; we want to see Congress work to enact common sense measures to promote job growth and nudge our economy into a more robust recovery. We want them to GOVERN.

What do we get instead? Idiot teabaggers hijacking the Republican party and demanding further spending cuts, despite all evidence to the contrary that austerity measures hinder growth rather than promoting it, at least during recession recovery. We get these windowlicking dumbasses going back to the culture wars of the Reagan years and telling women that they have to have an invasive vaginal ultrasound before they can get an abortion, and we get religious rhetoric from the braindead godbotherers in Congress who think it is perfectly okay to legislate based on THEIR religious text...but only theirs, because theirs is the One True Religion™! Fuck that separation of church and state thing, right?

Let me also make it perfectly clear that they have not driven me into apathy. I know many who are so disgusted by it that they swear off politics altogether. I have not done that and will not do that. I am taking a much needed break and tuning out all the talking head chatter—much of it is nothing less than ridiculous, anyway—but I’m still paying attention. And I’m angry. As we get closer to the midterm elections and then the presidential election of ‘16, you can expect me to get back to my normal feisty and involved self.

In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy the summer, enjoy music and movies, and have myself a good time. There will be plenty of time to dive back into it in a few months, as the midterm campaigns begin. Some people are probably permanently burnt out on it, though.

Political apathy? You built that, Congress. Great job. Now go DO your fucking jobs, why don’t you?

A good Friday

I got up at a decent time this morning, got my workout done, and had a nice lunch with my mother-in-law! We had a nice chat and many laughs (including about certain mutual acquaintances), and it was a pleasant, sunny day, although it was a little on the cool side. I’m battling a little bit of a headache due to the food coma thing, although I didn’t overeat. Just a half a sandwich (fried green tomato turkey club...YUM!) and some steamed vegetables, but I don’t usually eat that much for lunch. Usually I eat...nothing. But it was good, and it was a fun visit! I’ll have the other half of the sandwich for dinner tonight. I’m not doing very well with cleaning out the freezer, darn it! But I have something yummy in mind for Ken’s return on Sunday that involves a sirloin steak that’s in the freezer...a lot of work, but I’ve got a hankering for it, and it was really good when I made it before. Details to come, but it’s an Emeril Lagasse recipe, so you know it’s good! And I get to use my meat mallet, so that’s always a plus.

I also have something neat happening tomorrow (Saturday), and I’ll write about it afterwards. TEASE!

I haven’t gone back to see how many times I’ve written about politics in the past month, but I don’t think it’s been very often. I’ve been trying to figure out how I’m feeling about things, and I actually feel kind of sad and disgusted. Don’t get me wrong...I plan on doing work for Obama’s campaign this summer, and I still support him completely. Most of my disgust comes with the outrageous things being said by the Republicans and the failure of the rank and file Repubs to rebuke extremists like Limbaugh for their horrid comments. There have been plenty of targets, but I’m going to focus on their attitude towards women again. Not just the Sandra Fluke “slut” remarks from Limbo. He recently said this about Hillary Clinton:

And now Hillary has reached the pinnacle, and all she is is a secretary. She’s the Secretary of Defense – State, whatever. But still a secretary. I don’t know. The left has the strangest definitions of success.

That’s right. One of the most powerful women in the world, with an approval rating through the roof, one who has proven herself to be an incredible and capable diplomat, and he calls her just “a secretary.” That’s Secretary of Em-Effin STATE, you limp-dick tub o’ lard. UGH. (Hillary 2016! C’mon, Hill, do it just so Limbaugh’s head will go all splodey!)

I’m also appalled by the effect of the Citizens United ruling, which has essentially put our elections up for sale to the highest bidder. This is a bipartisan abomination, and I hope that the Supreme Court will choose to address it again and reverse their decision. Oh, and Mittens tells college students this week to ask their parents for a loan for college, or to start a business. Seriously? Does he have any idea that millions of people in this country do NOT have the money to loan to their kids? Wake up, people! This guy is clueless to what average Americans are dealing with right now!

Errr, anyway...so I’m still reading about all of this stuff, still taking it all in, still learning and being informed...but my respect for our election process has taken a major hit. Partisanship has become insane, and although it happens on both sides, I think one side saying that their main goal is to make Obama a one term President should be a clear indication that SOME parties are more partisan than others...not to mention any names. *cough* republicans *cough*

I am still engaged, still fired up and ready to go, and still ready to do what I can to give my President another term. I’m trying to balance it with other reading (Summer for the Gods is fantastic...I’m about halfway through and will be doing an entry about it when I’m done), music, exercise, and family and friends. I can get very frustrated and angry with some of the things I read, and I simply cannot allow that to rule my life. As we get closer to the election, I’m sure I’ll get more deeply involved and vocal (that last week is going to be every bit of a bitch as the last week before the 2008 election, I just know it!), but for now I’m trying to stay mellow. 

However, as I typed that last sentence just now, I realized that an evil grin appeared on my face, and my eyebrow arched automatically. This doesn’t bode well.

A sad day in Hoosierville

I was saddened and disappointed today to hear that one of my Senators, Evan Bayh, has decided not to run for re-election this year.

Senator Bayh has been a fixture in Indiana politics for many years, serving two terms as Governor, followed by two terms as Senator. He is seen as a moderate Democrat, fiscally conservative but socially liberal, and considered one of the "blue dog" Democrats in the Senate. A very liberal Democrat would have little chance in such a conservative state as Indiana, but he has always been well-liked and has served Indiana and the United States well. Some of my Democrat friends feel that he should have been more liberal; I feel that his presence as a Democrat was important, and on major issues like health care, he came through for helping all people, not just the well-off. He is also apparently a pretty good guy, and I've never heard a word about any improprieties or scandals.

So why is he not running again?

After all these years, my passion for service to my fellow citizens is undiminished, but my desire to do so by serving in Congress has waned. For some time, I have had a growing conviction that Congress is not operating as it should. There is too much partisanship and not enough progress — too much narrow ideology and not enough practical problem-solving. Even at a time of enormous challenge, the peoples' business is not being done.

Examples of this are legion, but two recent ones will suffice.

Two weeks ago, the Senate voted down a bipartisan commission to deal with one of the greatest threats facing our nation: our exploding deficits and debt. The measure would have passed, but seven members who had endorsed the idea instead voted “no” for short-term political reasons.

Just last week, a major piece of legislation to create jobs — the public's top priority — fell apart amid complaints from both the left and right.

All of this and much more has led me to believe that there are better ways to serve my fellow citizens, my beloved state, and our nation than continued service in Congress.

That's right. He's sick of the partisan politics in Congress. So sick of it that he wants out.

My feelings were a strange combination of disappointment that we're losing a good person in our government; disappointment in him that he didn't stay to fight for us all; and a complete understanding of why he is so frustrated and disgusted with what he is seeing lately. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty frustrated and disgusted, too. Bayh raises a great point, especially with the question of the debt commission (he has long been a proponent of being careful with our budget and cautioned against overspending): Republicans who previously endorsed such a commission actually voted against it. Yes, they voted against a commission that would address our national debt.

I'm sick of it, too, Evan.

For anyone who thinks that he dropped out of the Senate race because his seat was threatened, think again. He had double-digit leads against all comers, and he really is a fixture in Indiana politics. I think that he would have won re-election. I really believe that he has just had it with what he's seeing lately (and mentions that it is coming from both the left and the right) and can't stomach it anymore. I really do understand, because sometimes I find myself saying, "I swear, I'm moving to Canada!"

I have two questions. First, I want to know when our legislators are going to take notice and realize that we aren't voting them into office just to play these ridiculous games, to automatically gainsay whatever the opposition party wants to do; we vote them into office to actually do shit and work towards the betterment of our country and all of its citizens. This gridlock benefits no one, and it is seriously fucking up my country. Yes, you may be my legislator, but it is also my country.

Second question: Is there something fundamentally wrong with our legislative system that this can happen? That recent fuckaroo with Richard Shelby from Alabama blocking all of Obama's nominees until he got billions in federal aid for his state...that is absolutely ridiculous, and I'm glad that our President said basically to cut the bullshit, or he's going to bypass all y'all and make recess appointments. Shelby backed off. Washington seems to have become all about stopping the other side from getting things done, rather than enacting legislation that will help our country move forward and address a myriad of issues we are facing. This shortsightedness is becoming increasingly frustrating; I'm able to look to the future and see what might be, able to plan ahead, able to see what problems there might be and try to plan accordingly. Why can't our legislators do that?

I'm sad that the system has disillusioned a decent guy like Evan Bayh so much that he is getting out. But I do understand. I'm starting to think that getting out isn't such a bad idea, too.