ELECTION EVOLUTION

The main reason our government is screwed up is because our politicians are screwed up. They have tweaked our system of government to their advantage and to fit their purposes, from campaign finance to how they campaign, right on through to how they do their jobs after they are elected. Our election process has evolved into a scenario where the ONLY time we see our leaders in our communities is when they are trying to get the job.

I can't really believe I am writing this since I grow weary of politics and hate politicians invading my home thru their ads on television. I plan to DVR any television shows I watch as the election grows nearer, so I can easily fast forward through all the propaganda political ads which are filled with mind swaying(sometimes numbing) half truths. I also hate the invasion of local and state election political signs throughout our communities and most times their commercials are the worst.

I wonder if political leaders and people seeking political office should always be speaking? It seems in order to know what the will of the people is,....they should be listening. Maybe politicians should do what my first grade teacher admonished my class to do many many times: take a seat, close your mouths and open your ears. They should step out from behind the podium, take a seat in the audience, close their mouths and open their ears as a parade of constituents speak about what they want from their representative. Knowledge is power, and KNOWING what the people want is essential to doing what the people want,...and how can they know that, except through asking, and LISTENING?

I have no grandiose delusions that the ego maniacs who run for office would embrace this idea,...though it isn't new, but may be new to them. No, they would most likely break out in hives if we asked them to listen rather than speak because the job description of a politician is more about WORDS,...and less about ACTION. We didn't make this so, but rather our elected officials over the years have written their own accurate, but hollow job descriptions as talking the talk, but not walking the walk. Most would adamantly protest this real yet unwritten job description, likely with an endless barrage of words,....but with tellingly ironic little action.

Once elected, we only hear press releases from our leaders. They are very eager to get in front of the camera's for a press release, but are no longer concerned with meeting the people where they are and hearing from them first hand. As a matter of fact a press release is how one party communicates with the other party to let them know what they are thinking! Come on! DC's not that big! What happened to sitting down and talking in person? What happened to phone calls, teleconferences, video conferencing? What happened to all of the things they incorporated into their political campaigns to seem real with the the voting public? They seem to quickly abandon them once they HAVE the job. Yes, politicians love to lecture,...but they don't care to communicate. Active communication is a two way street which involves both speaking and listening and usually ends with an action.

Communication has never been politicians strong suit. Mark Twain said that politicians could speak for hours on end, without ever getting rid of an idea. They love to hear themselves speak,....and that's pretty much as far as it will go. They don't communicate with each other,...nor with us,...their constituents. Again, they love to lecture, each other and us, but seem to be weak communicators,...only wanting to selfishly speak and hardly listen.

Yet there have been times when we see an endless stream of politicians getting to know the public; glad handing, kissing babies and holding town hall meetings,....but, notice,.....these are ALL strictly centered around them re-upping for another term, or getting a new job, and rarely occurring outside that situation. But then, all of that stops. They stop desiring to know what Americans think. They no longer solicit our input,...but hole up in their offices taking calls from their donors and their party, but rarely others. They are less concerned about what the people want and more concerned with doing THEIR OWN will, rather than the will of the people. Shouldn't they continue their nationwide hand shaking, town hall meeting and baby kissing tours AFTER they are elected,...or at least an electronic version of that? How else are they going to know the will of the people in order to do it?

Maybe they don't care about the will of the people. Their behavior is all about looking like the "regular guy" with their chambray shirt sleeves rolled up and a hard hat on,...but again, that's only during election season. These guys are actors and no different than their glamour, spot light seeking counterparts on the other coast. They are experts at telling a story so vividly that we want to believe them and most of the time we do. But those story lines soon prove to be as fictional as any fantasized tale we see on screen at our local cinemas. With super PACS and big corporate donors,..constituents have taken a far back seat and are way down the line on political leaders' list of people to serve, at least behind themselves, their party and their donors. Our Supreme Court made an already fertile field for political corruption, even more fertile through enabling with Citizens United.

Our nation would truly be better served if our leaders would harken the advice of my first grade teacher, Mrs. Chambliss: take your seats, close your mouths and open your ears. I won't hold my breath,....and everyone should write that 100 times on the chalkboard during recess until you learn this appropriate behavior whenever politicians are involved.