That said, the state of Washington and upcoming presidential election has brought politics to mind lately. I don't really like talking about it - and, much to the annoyance of some friends, I try to push off the topic with jokes. But now, I am at a point where my specific worries and concerns about the governance of the country are bubbling up to a level that I want to discuss them with others.
Congressional/Representative Term Limits
For a group of individuals that are supposed to be representative individuals for their constituencies, they certainly fall far from the mark. Some of the members of Congress and the House have been in place so long that I feel they can no longer truely represent the people who elect them - they are no long a part of the demographic. They have been in place so long that their concern is more for maintaining their own position and security than representing their citizens and doing right by them.
Imposing term limits on Congressional and Representative seats would go a long way towards ensuring that those individuals act in our interests instead of their own. Eight years, twelve years, some finite period of time that puts the pressure on them to do their job instead of stringing important legislation along and using their time in Washington to line their pockets.
It sickens me to see "career" politicians - all they know is politics. At one point they may have had real world experiences and contributions, they don't now and some haven't for decades. We need younger people in those roles - people who can represent the people and culture of the nation as it is now, not as it was in the 50s.
Republican Primaries
Along with never being really political, I've never thought of myself as really being a part of either of the big parties. Democrats generally come off as too weak-wristed and considerate to be of much good (especially against their opposing counterparts in Washington) and Republicans come off as churchy church church and aggressive. I've always been fairly middle ground, liking some of what both say and because of that never really falling in line with both.
This is changing for me - in large part to the Republican primaries and me seeing a candidate that I find really appealing. For the first time, I find myself really engaged and interested in what a candidate has to say. Unfortunately, major news networks and his own party doesn't seem to care at all about what he has to say.
That candidate is Ron Paul. He might seem an odd choice considering my comment about needing younger people in politics but his message falls in line with my beliefs and what I think we need to do for the country:
- Smaller Government
- Less/Little/No Foreign Meddling
- Focus on building our own nation instead of others
- Break the cycle of one war after another
The other candidates hold no interest for me. Mitt Romney bends to whatever he thinks will get him a vote. Rick Santorum might have had a shot with me if he wasn't praising God every third sentence (at what point does "following the word of God" effectively mean he is taking orders from foreign leadership?). I'm pretty bland on Newt Gingrich - don't know enough about him at this point to care either way. Rick Perry is absent minded and can't even remember his own positions. Michelle Bachman is crazy.
So, yeah - Go Ron Paul!
