Because it is MY team, that's why

How are politics like sports? I think I finally figured out the connection and it worries me. It is a sign of a huge flaw with democracy and republicanism (the political definition, not the party).

While I would not classify myself as a fanatic by any stretch of the imagination, I will admit I do enjoy a good deal of sports. I like to watch Monday Night Football if any of my myriad of teams I "like" is playing, will watch Thursday night or Saturday college ball if a game intrigues me, like to watch baseball and hockey during the playoffs, and basketball just about anytime.

One thing you quickly find out about sports is a lot of people have the WWI soldier's ideal; "Right or wrong, My country" only in this case it is "right or wrong, my team". Their players can do no wrong. If the opposing receiver goes out of bounds, takes three steps, and then gets blasted full speed they will complain about the penalty. If their favorite player picks off a rebound, goes the length of the floor on one dribble and dunks, they will complain if traveling is called. Conversely, if the opposition blasts their QB while he is looking down field they just know it was a late hit. And so forth.

In short, no matter how stupid, inane, or unreasonable the actions on the field or court, they will back their team because it is their team, not because they want to see the correct outcome.

Politics have become the same way. There are people who will back their party regardless of whether it is the right move or not. I must credit Mark Evanier for putting it in a form that crystallized what was bothering me.

Why on earth would anyone ever just punch the party ticket? Do they care that little about who represents them or the outcome?

This forthcoming election is a crucial one. We have two horrific choices; we can go with McCain who has become the new face of shifting positions and has not built any moral base to stand on or we can go with Obama who will do to health care what FDR did to welfare. Can this country withstand that level of stupidity and destruction?

But the problem lies not with this election but rather with the decades of people who have mindlessly punched the party ticket not because it was a wise choice or represented them but rather because, "I am a Destructocrat" or "I am a Republicant". What a stupid-*** reason to **** up this country and leave us a choice between the lesser of two evils.

Find any supporter of either Obama or McCain and ask them, "What are the top 10 issues where he is a good choice?" Not, "Why is he better than his opponent" but rather a positive, "My guy is good because".

It is easy to tear down. Putting noted plagiarist Joe Biden, a guy who said Obama was not a good choice, on his ticket is enough to disqualify Obama if you want to tear down, at least for me it is. You will never see me vote for someone who has demonstrated that level of moral turpitude.. Flipping multiple times on an issue such as abortion is enough to disqualify McCain. No need to look any further. If I wanted, I could find a dozen reasons to vote against either of them. But it is much harder to find a dozen reasons to vote FOR either of them.

So why do we not have legitimately good, across the board, POSITIVE choices? Because there are so many voters who throw away their votes by either "voting for the lesser of two evils" (while claiming someone voting FOR someone instead of AGAINST someone is the one "wasting" their vote) or by mindlessly punching the party ticket because "they are my team. Right or wrong, my party."

Voting that way has got us where we are today; a body of lawmakers with a higher percentage of scofflaws and financially inept people than any other institution in the country outside of prisons. *

So stop voting the party ticket. Use your brain when you go to the polls. Don't vote the lesser of two evils. Find someone worth voting for, no matter how "unelectable" someone is. Vote for good, not for evil. Because you might perceive of it as "voting for the lesser of two evils" but the message politicos hear is, "I am what they want".









* From an oft-passed e-mail that I have not bothered to vet, mostly because I suspect it understates the case:

36 have been accused of spousal abuse
7 have been arrested for fraud
19 have been accused of writing bad checks
117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses
3 have done time for assault
71,repeat 71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
8 have been arrested for shoplifting
21 currently are defendants in lawsuits, and
84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year
Can you guess which organization this is?Give up yet? . .
The 435 Members of the Congress
********
If their math is correct, that is 380 of 435, over 87% who are certainly not worthy to be making laws.