how politics as usual is just the usual bullshit

first off, i'm hoping for a huge democrat landslide tomorrow. not that i'm a democrat, but that i believe that the country runs best when the president is of one party and congress is of another. that way, the partisan crap is killed, and the only things that are passed are what's good for the country. you know, small little ideas called checks and balances and compromises. they're only what this country was built on. that's all.

but we're so into labels nowadays, so into pigeonholing people, so into voting a team than voting your country, that politicians and commentators are treating and talking to the citizens of this country as if they are sheep.

for example: the race in missouri. it's close between the democrat and republican. but they mentioned that the one thing that's on the ballot that might bring democrats to the voting booth is that the democrat believes in stem cell research.

it's an idiotic comment based in the divisive nature of the country we now live in.

stopping stem cell research would seem like government interference, right? and isn't republican values supposedly in line for limiting interference like that? that's the basis for the whole party, ain't it? so wouldn't that bring republicans out, too?

oh, wait, stem cell research is a religious issue, right? and religion is a republican stronghold. because, beyond the whole alliteration thing, it's safe to assume that there are no atheists in the republican party, right? and that there are no religious people who are democrats, yes? because political parties are determined about faith issues, like taxes, yes?

isn't taxes a religious belief? oh no. religion isn't taxed in this country. i forgot.

but that brings me to this: why should your political leanings be influenced by your personal leanings? it doesn't. it shouldn't. political parties represent politics. they are not religious parties.

but now the word republican is slang for "down with jesus" and democrat is slang for "hedonists". and neither is true or intended. in fact, if you look at the history of the parties, what they stand for is the exact opposite of what they are today. democratic leanings throughout history is firmly entrenched in doing things that jesus would have done, like helping the poor and other social services. and republican leanings, throughout history, is firmly in the camp of leaving you alone to do what you want. you know, something like hedonism.

but those are just practices. we deal with words.

like our republican president, who claims he's religious, but has he done anything that jesus would be proud of? and we have democrats who are too spineless to stand up for the people they should, like the poor and the middle class. it's all about pandering for votes and emotions, and so little to do with actions and intentions.

i guess what i'm saying is that reality has given way for rhetoric.

and that's the biggest shame of it all.