The fray of politics is covered like sport by our media. Each day represents a portion of a game. Depending upon whether the media, who serve as referees, declare your team victorious for that day, you are happy or dismayed. The game of golf has an appropriate expression: “Each shot makes someone happy.” If your team is judged a winner for that day or week, you are happy.
In North Carolina as other places, sports are an important part of life. Try telling a devoted fan that the outcome of a Duke – North Carolina basketball game is irrelevant! As a fan who has followed this rivalry for decades, I will be disappointed if the game doesn’t go my way. Yet, in the grand scheme of things, the outcome of the game is totally irrelevant. Most of the world, billions of people, don’t know either team. It has absolutely no effect on their lives. It doesn’t feed another child or cure a sick person. It is a non-event.
In a sense, rooting for a political party is like rooting for a sports team and that is the way the media covers it. What a political party does may be more relevant than who wins the Rose Bowl, but probably not much more. None of the nonsense passed in Washington provides net good. It may benefit some factions at the expense of others, but the net result is a negative. Parties may benefit as they seek votes and jostle for advantage. The net effect on the country is always negative unless the action repeals prior legislation.
The sad part of our situation, one encouraged by the media in their need for drama, is that we lose sight of the big picture and what is important. Our loyalty should be with the country and the principles upon which it was founded. Neither party represents them particularly well. Daily, weekly or even annual trends, while impressive and not totally useless, often cover hidden underlying forces.
For those dismayed about the political trends in our country, I recommend a read by Kelly O’Connell. The article focuses on the mega forces at work beneath the surface, not the superficial politics as a sport approach. For those who believe that Democrats, Obama in particular, are harming the country, the piece will provide support but also hope:
Pollster Rasmussen reports “just 28% believe federal government today has the consent of the governed.” This creates several problems for Obama. First, most Americans do not experience government as representational. This is dangerous because it breeds a fatalistic and cynical populace increasingly disconnected from Washington, and all that implies.
Second, it forces a constitutional crisis. For, despite Barack’s poisonously smug demeanor in every setting, and claims of constitutional mastery, this creates a de facto lawless regime. For if Obama is continually defying the will of the people at every turn, he has created an anti-constitutional tyranny, and therefore must be stopped.
In conclusion, we have a constitutional, Natural Law duty to see Obama driven from office by impeachment. Because the only moral government, according to our Constitution, is one that derives its legitimacy from the Consent of the Governed, an idea Barack had refused to honor since gaining office.
If the Republicans were something other than Democrats in slow motion, I could be more enthused. The so-called Tea Party is less Republican than it is the spirit awakening in the American populace. They may represent our version of an Egyptian revolution.
[...] effective is our current political system. To this regard, I refer to a short article entitled “Politics as Sport.” “What a political party does may be more relevant than who wins the Rose Bowl, but probably [...]