An election observation

I know it has been a while since my last post ... ironically, a musing about the death of blogs. Anyway ....

As anyone who has watched TV, been online, or otherwise not been living in a secluded shack in Minnesota knows, the US midterm elections were held last Tuesday. As someone who spent the week before in California, let me say that in my limited 2-3 hours of TV watching ... thank goodness. Political ads were non-stop. Political ads were desperate. Political ads were dirty.

In 2008, Obama and the Democrats swept into power on the vague idea of "Change." The purpose of this post is not to discuss what Obama and the Democrats have or haven't done. Instead, let's look at the where their reasoning went off track. Perhaps rightfully so (as hindsight is always 20-20), the Democratic Party made a mistake in thinking that their majority in Congress and ownership of the Presidency was a referendum to push through every social and political package they've been sitting on for the last decade. I think reality was a bit different ... instead, it was a referendum against then-President Bush. As a whole, it was a negative vote against him, not a positive vote for the President's agenda.

The result? Well ... Tuesday. Tuesday was a vote about the President's agenda (especially by those who are motivated to show up to a non-Presidential election). It may not even be about specific policy (healthcare, stimulus, etc), but it was most definitely influenced by the fact that the President has accomplished a few of his goals and we still find ourselves in a struggling economy. Is that fair? Perhaps no ... we all know that economic struggles cannot be righted overnight. In two years we should have a better idea ....

On Tuesday, the Republicans made huge gains in the House and Senate. Much like Obama in the last election, they would be wrong to see it as a referendum for the conservative agenda. Instead, it was once again a vote about change ... things aren't working out, so you're gone. I'm not sure this is a great position for the GOP coming into 2012 ... if they do too much, they'll be the conservative extremists that Democrats love to run ads about. If they do too little, they'll be voted out for not making a difference. Tough spot.

Over the years, I have sensed a shift in my political alignment. Perhaps different than many younger adults, I started out as a conservative Republican. Now I honestly call myself an Independent. Why? I'm not sure how much party names mean any more. Republicans are torn between moderates and fringe-right who want a moral utopia. Democrats are torn between moderates and fringe-left who want a socialist utopia.

I've said it once, and I'll keep saying it. I want representatives who have skills. I want doctors, teachers, janitors, secretaries, and construction workers. I want people who know what it's like to work, pay taxes, and live lean. I don't want career politicians who started out practicing law for a few years, became a councilman, became a mayor, became a state senator, became a senator, etc. What does that person, so far removed from traditional labor, know about his/her constituents? Hopping in a private jet each week to visit doesn't quite cut it. But I digress ... one can't go too far down that path without wonderful labels such as "teabagger" ... hmmm ... definitely an unbiased media, right?