Election season rushes towards a roaring crescendo. Both the major parties spend hundreds of millions of dollars, clogging the airwaves and my mailbox, trying to persuade me to vote for their candidates. My Republican friends beg me to vote for Romney. My Democrat friends want me to vote for Obama.
There is no way I will vote for either.
My first experience voting was for George McGovern, when he ran against Richard Nixon. Nixon won. Many of us remember how that ended.
Both major parties have done nothing but piss me off ever since.
The last time I voted for a major party candidate, it was for Bill Clinton’s second term. Then came Monicagate. If he had just said, “Hell yes, we had sex. It was a mistake. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again”, I could have had some respect for the man. But no, he had to be a weasel. I so regretted voting for him.
Then the Democrats tried to Get Mr. Albert Gore elected, the Epitome of Hypocrite himself. That election offered a real great choice. I have voted for fringe parties ever since.
From what I can tell, a politician from either major party has the same scale of interests:
1. Self Interest (selfish, not enlightened)
2. Special Interests
3. The Good of this Country, as it applies to Big Business
4. Other Country’s Business, as it applies to American Big Business
5. Other People’s Business, as it applies to lifestyle choices and other private matters the government has no business being involved in
Six and down- a bunch of other stupid stuff
Way at the bottom of the list are small businesses and non-wealthy individuals, not important at all in the Grand Scheme.
I don’t propose to know exactly what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they wrote the Constitution. I doubt if the present state of the United States government was it, though.
As long as my perception of major party politicians remains unchanged I will be voting fringe.
For a list of alternative political parties, visit this link: http://apatheticvoter.com/PoliticalParties.htm
And those are my views on politics.
Please remember to get out there and vote, regardless of your political views!
John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com
All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2012. All rights are reserved.
Share
John,
I could not agree more and therein lay the problems of our government. Only a multiparty system with complete representation is truly for the people. Until we demand that type of representation it will be “We the People are Corporations” we will be left out and cold. They were against the tyranny of religion and despots. The uber-wealthy have become today’s despots and religion has come storming back into our government. I have no doubt our Founding Fathers wanted far different than what we have allowed to happen.
I just came across your blog and am really enjoying it and can’t believe I only just found it. And as such, I have to apologize that my first comment is on a political post because it’s the kind of topic that only seems to divide people.. Nevertheless, while I respect your views and integrity, at the same time I find it a bit of a cop out. Don’t get me wrong, a two party system is just about the epitome of anti-democracy, and only leaves voters with the choice of the lesser of two evils, which is NO choice at all. But until we get rid of the two party system, which isn’t likely, voting for the fringe is essentially throwing away a vote. You may not have the shame and regret of having voted for whoever ends up being elected when they disappoint, as they all eventually inevitably will, but you’ll have to deal with it in the end nonetheless. And at that point, whether or not your share of the hypothetical blood is on your hands or not is kind of moot.
i like your passion. i don’t agree with you, though.
if i didn’t vote i would be throwing my vote away. everyone complains that the system isn’t working, but they vote for the same candidates and parties every election. until people start voting for other candidates and parties the same deteriorating system we have will remain entrenched.
“everyone complains that the system isn’t working, but they vote for the same candidates and parties every election.” Touche. I had a feeling this would be your response, and I do agree with it to some extent. I guess I am just too cynical to believe that a gradual, bottom-up approach like that will effect the kind of massive changes that need to be made to the system any time soon..
other than a revolution, what choice do we have?