Just stop making everything in a political campaign about winning and gaining power, while ignoring the benefit of having people in Congress who have integrity, strength of character, something resembling a moral compass, and a willingness to work with others in government to get things done in Washington.
After listening to the Daily Podcast on Wednesday morning that revealed how the DNC has been using campaign money to support the Republican candidate of their choice to run against, I wanted to scream. Maybe I should have screamed to release some of the frustration, but I was afraid I’d scare the cats and my neighbors.
Apparently there has been a long-standing habit of Democratic candidates picking who whey wanted to run against, even if that person could be harmful to democracy in the long run should they win in the general election. The DNC then pours money into the primary election campaign of that GOP candidate, in the hopes they will be easier to beat than the other GOP nominee.
The same thing probably happens within the GOP. It seems like, in the last 30 years especially, a politician will do whatever he or she wants in order to win. The win is what is most important.
Forget issues.
Forget what’s good for the nation.
Forget what the people want.
It’s all about who can gain control of Congress.
If there was ever a reason for doing away with the two-party system in government this certainly tops that list.Some people may remember the old proverb, “All’s fair in love and war, ” first attributed to John Lyly‘s Euphues in the 1500s. The proverb was also used in the 1700s by the English lawyer and playwright William Taverner. In the book, The Relapse, or Myrtle Bank, the proverb reads: “Tho’ this was a confounded lie, my friend, ‘all is fair in love and war.”
Some politicians have added to the proverb to justify what they do to win elections, “Everything is fair in love and war and politics.”In The Daily Podcast, reporter Jonathan Weisman talked about how the DNC used this system of picking the candidate they want to run against and helping that person win the GOP nomination in the recent primary elections. One place this happened was in Michigan’s Third Congressional District, currently represented by Peter Meijer. The Democratic candidate, Hillary Scholten, who ran unopposed in the primary, poured thousands of dollars into the campaign of John Gibbs, who narrowly beat Meijer in the primary on Tuesday.
Beyond the unscrupulous political maneuvering, it is a great loss to our government that someone like Meijer will be out come next January. Right after he was sworn in as a freshman congressman following the January Sixth Insurrection, he voted to impeach then President Trump. More recently he voted for H.R. 3967: Honoring our PACT Act of 2021, that passed on Mar 3, 2022; which was to provide much-needed care to veterans. He also cast a “Yay” vote for H.R. 6531: Targeting Resources to Communities in Need Act of 2022.
Right after he was was elected Meijer proved that he is willing to reach across party lines and work with Democrats on important issues, and he is exactly the kind of person we need in government. Somebody with a high moral standard. Somebody with integrity. Somebody who is not afraid to take a stand, even if that position is not popular within the party.
If I still lived in Michigan and was able to vote in that district, I would’ve voted for Meijer hands down. The fact that the DNC decided to take that ability away from like-minded people who live in Michigan is unconscionable.
Is there any hope for the future of politics in our country? What do you think? Do you agree that all is fair in love and war and politics? I welcome a discussion of the issue as long as we all keep comments respectful and civil.
And now, before I go, I want to share this photo of a lovely flower that came in a bouquet I bought a couple of weeks ago. This was the last flower standing when the rest of the flowers dropped their petals and wilted.
I didn’t notice that my camera was focusing on the other flowers in the glass when I snapped several photos of this. And, sadly, the other buds never opened. 🙁 Can anyone tell me the name of this flower?
Maryann, I abhor politics with every fiber of my being. Whether it’s governmental or corporate politics. Recently, I saw this video of a talk that Jennifer Lawrence gave to high school students. It’s so spot on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XDC3LXbFM0
I also love Steve Kerr’s line that we are being help captive by the politicians. It’s exactly how I feel. We are not being represented by these greedy, money-focused scam artists.
Thanks for stopping by Cathy and for sharing the link to the talk by Jennifer Lawrence. I clicked over and listened and was really impressed with her message. And I, too, feel like we are being held captive by the politicians.