Washington's Farewell Address in 1796
The 2008 Presidential race and the timing of other events in Washington and politics have left me in disgust. The more the candidates talk, the more I dislike the idea of either one (Obama or McCain) becoming our next President.
I wonder how George Washington would have faced these times today. In Washington's farewell address as President in 1796 he said the following:
...They [political parties] serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community;...As I have mentioned to others already, I think one of the most patriotic things I can do as an American today is to disassociate with any and all political parties. I am going independent.
Ah...it feels good.
4 comments:
I've been independent for a few years now and I love it. Not sure what I'm doing with this election yet. I'm so disgusted with both candidates, my conscience can't even go with a lesser of two evils choice. Both of their policies will continue to drive us economically into the dirt. Perhaps I'll vote my conscience on a third party. Won't do any good, but at least I can live with myself. Who knows, maybe in the next few election cycles if enough people vote 3rd party it might become cool.:)
We could have had a third party win in 1992 had Perot not wigged out the summer before the election and drop out only to return a few months later. Even then, he got almost 20% of the vote.
It takes almost a perfect storm for a third party to stand a change. Had the concerns of Iraq in 2006 collided with the economic meltdown of 2008 and just a general unease among the electorate been brewing since late last winter, then I firmly believe a viable third party candidate would have stood a chance this year.
Nome of the third party guys this time would have fit the mold, but I'm sure someone could have stepped up with a fresh approach and caught fire.
Well, I am almost convinced that like Perot, the candidate needs to have zero political experience. I am so tired of hearing about past voting records.
The problem Perot would have had is that you simply can't fire a congressman or senator because they won't do your will. You can't fire a Ted Kennedy or John Boehner because they won't vote for your initiative.
But that's how Perot ran his organization. That's what his view of government ought to be run was presented.
Under Perot, he believed only in white shirts, narrow neck ties, black suits, black wing tips and crew cuts. Perot ran his companies with almost dictatorial powers. Bow to him or lose your job. With constitutionally divided powers, that can't be done.
And with representatives elected to do the will of the people of their districts what was good in Perot's eyes maybe wasn't good in Cynthia McKinney's district or Mike Pence's. They were elected presumably to do the will of their constituents.
Perot's premise was a fallacy if he tried to run the country like he did his companies.
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