It seems politics has become sports

I don’t recall it when I was growing up, but that’s probably because I was young and didn’t pay attention. But now, it seems that as the days and years go by, politics is becoming more like sports than what it should be.

Politics should be the diplomatic process by which our society is governed. Politics should not be the betting and rooting for a team to win. At present, it seems that party lines have become teams, and votes have become bets. People, although disenchanted by the process at times (or because they’re disenchanted by the process at times) appear to bet blindly on the team they want to win, without any regard to the actual issues or the candidate’s stance on said issues.

I’ll be sure to instill within my children the true meaning of what it means to vote. I’ll be sure to instill within my children that they should think critically of the issues, the campaigns, and the people behind them. I’ll be sure to instill within my children a sense of respect and appreciation for their right to vote.

And I’ll make damn sure that my children don’t blindly bet on a political team they want to win, simply for the sake of being a fan.

What to do with the new healthcare law

Prior to the recent passing of the new healthcare law, I would have said as so many other people had: we need reform, we need change, we need something better.

The method by which the new health care law passed is not something I'm proud of for America; it's not the way it should have been done. Making such vast changes, writing perplexing laws, and creating legislation so large that most could not or did not read it prior to voting, and done so in such hastened fashion, is just wrong for the American people. We deserve better and should require better from our representatives in Congress.

Today, I say repeal the new healthcare law, de-fund portions if repeal is not possible, or go through the behemoth legislation with a fine-tooth comb reading every line to make sure everyone understands how it all works BEFORE any portion of the law goes into effect. This will at the very least give everyone a chance to make adjustments and changes as necessary, and to prevent anything the American people don’t want.

I am not saying, however, that we do not need healthcare reform; we certainly do – we just need proper reform, not just any reform we can get in a few-month's time. And it has to be reform that the people want, not what Congress or a President tells us we want.

An open letter to Republicans in Congress:

Dear Republicans,

1) Please do not rush through any horrible pieces of legislature which are designed to forever reform a significant portion of our economy in only a few-month's time that the American public does not want.

2) Please do not take it to heart that you now have the House; again, it is not a mandate for, it is a referendum against.

3) Please DO listen to your constituents. That means Republicans, Independents, AND Democrats, all of whom voted you into office.


Respectfully,
Jason

I think we're in a good position as a whole

I think we're in a good position as a whole.

Yes, they swept the US House of Representatives. Yes, they cleaned shop around the country in state-level positions, too. No, the Republicans did not win the US Senate as well. And that's why I say I think we're in a good position as a whole.

And by "whole" I mean the United States of America.

One caveat: the Republicans must not make similar mistakes as the Democrats & the President made after the 2008 elections; no, this is not a mandate for blanket Republican policies across the board, where in turn the Republicans ram through a one-sided agenda with little give-and-take from the opposite side.

When I say that I think we're in a good position as a whole, I mean that at this moment it's good that both parties are in power within Congress. It's good that they both have a say, and that both parties are now represented in Washington: one in each chamber of Congress.

I say that I think we're in a good position as a whole because we now have a balance of power in our (the people’s) representation in Washington. A true check and balance. I hope that it's not too far of a pendulum swing to the Right where we'll need another election cycle to get back to middle, because it’s the middle where things work together the best. And ‘together’ is the key for continued success and the future prosperity of America.