Voting, football, root canals and thoughts on personal responsibility.

First off, let me apologize. I did my best. But I cannot say I did it right. I went to vote and did what I thought was the "right thing," but left resigned and relieved to know I am not the one ultimately in control of the situation (sitchyayshun).

Secondly, let me say I am a conservative. Not a republican! A conservative. If that offends you... well, go read someone else's blog (because my audience is SOOOOO LARGE... lol.) I do prescribe to the main tenet of the Tea Party (being fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, reducing deficit spending, reducing congressional spending, reducing the size of gov't, etc.) Granted, associating myself with the "tea party" has it's misconceptions.

1. I am not racist.
   My picks for future presidents include... actually, are currently limited to:
   Dr. William H. Cosby, Jr.
   JC Watts
   Thomas Sowell
2. I am not a homophobe... nor do I hate those in the GLBTI community.
3. I am not a rich white guy... White-ish, yes.
4. I am not greedy
5. I am not hateful

Folks who would imply Tea Partiers are such are narrow, dim-witted & incapable of original thought.

My "team"
For most of my young, white, middle-class life, I have voted republican. I will admit, I have even voted a straight-line republican ticket before. Don't worry. I've repented. I'm scheduling some self-prescribed penance next week. Probably will begin with self-flogging and may throw myself into a thorn bush or two.

All sarcasm aside, I still tend to lean toward the "rhetorical right-leaning republican chatter." I am not saying I see much logic in staunch democrat platforms. I see the heart, just not the brains. Though it seems folks who vote only one party aren't really thinking. Consider your favorite football team. Just because a guy plays on that team doesn't mean he's any good. The same thing goes with politics. Just because the person is wearing "my color jersey" doesn't mean I like the way s/he plays. It seems voters are now looking more at the machine of politics as the problem, not the issues themselves. People are becoming more and more disenchanted with their party politics and realizing their friends, neighbors & coworkers aren't their enemies. Politicians make their living by dividing our nation and trying to duct-tape it back together after the elections.

Roger Clemens was sentenced to 30 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine for lying to congress. It seems, if you lie to congress, you can go to jail for 30 years. If they lie to you, they get to keep their job for another term. (Can't remember who first said it... but I'm stealing it!)

Or, as Thomas Sowell once said, "The welfare state [and politicians - my addition] is the oldest con game in the world. First you take people's money away quietly, and then you give some of it back to them flamboyantly." We as americans are disenchanted with our Government's promises. We're tired of the crap we're being fed and we want to know we are not being fed just to fatten us for the slaughter.

The voting process:
The process was grueling! Oh, sure. If you vote a straight party ticket, you're out in 5 minutes once you reach the booth. But if you're thoughtfully, yea... even prayerfully considering your decision... weighing each candidate... It can be burdensome.

Don't get me wrong. The right to vote on your leaders is precious. I wouldn't give it up. But, like most things which are worthwhile, it is difficult and requires more of the voter than just "showing up."

The Results:
The biggest "fear" we have is the potential of change for the worse... I suppose no change is better than a change for the worse. OR, we could see the folks we just elected rise to power to become the same garbage we just threw out. In fact, that is what I expect will happen and the largest proponent for term limits on congress.

This year the Tea Party did make an impact on the results. I believe most folks seeing a republican flip in the House and a much narrower democrat margin in the senate will be billed as a Tea Party "victory." I don't think that's the case. People feel the ship's course has been corrected due to turning the rutter hard right. The trend is set. It will take years... possibly decades to change the course of decisions made in the last 2 years. It always has. Not to mention, congressmen (and women) have a penchant for saying one thing and doing another. As long as you can distract a distinct majority of your voters with something sparkly, you can keep them away from your prize goose! So, congress has flipped. I'm sure there are back room discussions amongst the 112th congress how to satiate the discontentment enough that it's no longer boiling, but keep it hot enough for the next election cycle.

What does congress NEED to do:

1. Implement term limits on all congressional seats.
2. Limit Congress "right" to vote it's own pay raises
3. Sunset our current social security program for a more privatized system like that which congress receives
4. Replace income taxes with the Fair Tax or a Flat Tax
5. STOP deficit spending
6. Stop fiddling with the friggen economy
7. Cut spending as a whole
8. Cut gov't programs
9. Cut gov't control over industries like: Education, Health Care & energy
10. Stop all bail-outs
11. Create a decisive immigration policy (honestly, i'm for more open borders w/ mexico)
12. Stop frivolous law suits
13. Develop a REAL PLAN to end our wars abroad and bring our folks home
14. End our current welfare system
15. Get to their jobs of maintaining nat'l security & some modicum of infrastructure
16. and, finally... leave us alone
17. Oh, sure... there's more. But I don't have all week.

What does congress will LIKELY do:

1. Little, if anything.
2. Make an attempt to overhaul or repeal "Obama-care."
3. Likely try to REVISE Obama-care with an equally unappealing option.
4. Stagnate for 2 years to build more discontentment for a 2012 election.

Pardon my cynicism. It's kinda depressing. Gov't has such a bad track record for doing the right thing. I guess it seems negative, but I don't think I should just be expected to trust our elected officials because they promise a bunch of gifts. The truth is, they promise the voters one thing but do what they were PAID to do... and they were PAID by their funders. Sorry. But paying customers come first. Oh, yeah... they'll tip their hat to something the voters say. But in the end, they really serve their special interest lobbyists. 2012: Maybe the Mayans were right. (joking). Maybe it will be the end of the world. In that case, really what do we have to worry about, right? But, if we must look toward the 2012 elections, I don't see a viable conservative candidate. I don't want to see Obama re-elected, though I concur with Larry Sally's post on the topic of Obama. Though I'll likely (and reluctantly) side with the Republican candidate in 2012... I'd like to see a viable, conservative libertarian be offered as a choice. When I say, viable... I mean viable enough to win the election... not just steal votes from one side or another. Conclusion: Well, I don't think the gov't has the answer. I honestly don't think they know the question. I also believe the real solution to America's problems (economic & otherwise) does not lie in congress or the white house. As Reagan once said, it really comes down to the decisions made in YOUR house. Do I think the nation needs to oust the gov't and convert to an anarchy (Robert)? NOO. That's ridiculous. Do I think gov't should be abolished (hmmm, tempting... JUST KIDDING.) NO! Do I think the Gov't should handle it's responsibilities and powers differently. Well, yes. That's why I vote. If I didn't, I wouldn't vote.

As Mark Twain once said: "Politicians are like diapers; they need to be changed often and for the same reason."