The Two Party Game of Charades

Rewind. No, not the dvd you are watching but rather in your mind. Rewind to the year 2001. The Republican Party had won the Presidential Election, had control in Congress, and looked toward moving the country forward after the Clinton era. September 11, 2001. The most tragic day in American history. Thousands of people died in planes, skyscrapers, and a field in Pennsylvania. Everything changed. Democrats seemed crazy, blaming President Bush and his business partners. Republicans, however, kept a cool head. I wasn't very old then. In fact, I was in the 4th grade when the greatest legislative disaster in American history happened, The USA Patriot Act. I did not know it then, but the rule of law had been trampled upon. The Constitution is not a list of suggestions as to how the nation should be run. Rather, it is a stiff, inconvenient, unchanging list of rules that severely restricts what the government can or cannot do. And that is because that is what it was designed to be. The Republican Party did not care, as Senator Jeff Sessions put it on the Senate floor, "Some people love the Constitution more than the security of this nation.". When I came of age and realized the travesty that had occurred, I could no longer call myself a Republican.

So after that fiasco, I decided that I would look for a new party affiliation. I couldn't find a legitimate third party to side with, so I settled in as a Democrat. 2006 and 2008 were both really good years. Democrats finally took back control of both houses of Congress and the White House. Everybody was feeling optimistic and encouraged about the healing that was supposed to take place. The illegal, undeclared wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were going to be brought to a much needed end. Guantanamo Bay was going to be closed. The abomination known as the Patriot Act would finally be allowed to expire. Executive power was supposed to be brought back to appropriate levels. And then...President Obama decided to renew the Act, closing Guantanamo has been stalled from the start, and Afghanistan continues without an end in sight. Healthcare reform was passed. But the final package was only a watered down version of what the country truly needs and even that is under threat of repeal. Any way you look at it, I was let down yet again and therefore can no longer be called a Democrat.

When it comes down to it, both Parties are the same Party. We are convinced that all third party candidates are crazy, extremists, or unqualified. We have been trained to believe that we either choose between the Democrats or the Republicans. Anything else is just a wasted vote. NEWSFLASH: All votes cast in every election dominated by the two major parties has been a wasted vote! Either party is not interested in representing your voice, opinion, belief, or stance. Rather, they are interested in saying or doing whatever it takes to get elected. Republicans use fear of the unknown and creeping "socialism" to make you feel unpatriotic for not electing them. Democrats use lofty promises, unattainable goals, and "change" to get put into office. Both use you. Both use me. Both manipulate and deceive in order to get power. They are in control of Presidential debates. (See Ralph Nader Presidential Debate 2000). They are in control of ballot access. They control every aspect of democracy, which makes this nation a farce of a democracy.

What can we do? Let's waste our vote. Let's rally behind a Libertarian, Green Party, Constitutionalist, or even a Socialist Party candidate. Let's show the Republicans and Democrats where they can stick their control, manipulation, and deceit. Chances are that if you look into those candidates, you will find passionate, patriotic, devoted, and honest men and women who want to lead by common sense and principle. It is possible to change the landscape in the election of 2010. It only takes one. Whether it is a governor, congressman, or senator, one third party candidate winning can open the floodgates. I am tired, you are tired, we are all tired. Now, let's do something about it.