The State Of Politics In 2018
Getting involved in the political process was a noble thing once upon a time.
Sure there has always been a nasty side to politics. It goes back to the beginning of our country. But what we are seeing now goes beyond description. We are so divided as a country I fear we will never be united again.
In fact, with the exception of the Civil War (which hopefully nothing will compare to again) one has to believe we are at our most divided.
You have to give the two factions of the two-headed political monster credit for one thing. They have their followers believing their individual side is never wrong. If a Republican is president then those who support him will never offer one ounce of dissent. We are seeing that now.
Likewise, if a Democrat occupies the White House then followers and loyalists would literally walk off a cliff if directed to. We saw this with the prior president.
One has to ponder how we got to this point. It’s as if we now believe if we disagree with a political party or a representative of that party then it amounts to treason. It’s absurd really. No one who has been president or governor or senator or mayor has ever been right 100 percent of the time.
All politicians are human and by nature that means he or she will make mistakes and take missteps. On even rare occasions some politicians will admit they are wrong. It is rare though.
There has been and always will be something patriotic about the political process. Typically those who run for office, be it national, statewide or local, do so because they want to help their fellow citizens. Despite what politics has turned into in 2018 that is really the core of why candidates run.
When Donald Trump was campaigning for president there were numerous other options. However, in one of the greatest political upsets in our history Trump overcame all odds and now resides in the White House. In some ways I’m still shocked because the Republican establishment in no way wanted him to win the GOP nomination, let alone the White House.
Even with Trump’s massive personal fortune it was still a political upset for the ages.
Yet there are millions who believe Trump has not done one single thing right as president. That is not true. There are also millions who believe he has done nothing wrong. That is also incorrect.
When we become blind followers of a candidate, an idea, a political party or even a president then we lose the ability to see clearly. Ronald Reagan was probably our last most effective president but that doesn’t mean he was perfect either.
In fact, one has to wonder what Republicans in 2018 would think of Reagan who was in favor of an easier pathway to citizenship for immigrants. It’s interesting to note that all of the right wing pundits who used to praise Reagan and his policies seem to not mention him near as much.
On the statewide level, the upcoming general election race for governor may set a record for gutter campaigning. This is being written before Tuesday’s runoff but regardless of who emerges as the Republican nominee it is going to be a brutal three months.
This race will see big money pouring in from out of state as various interest groups put in their two cents (financially and otherwise.)
And for those who sit in the middle politically, a hope for a legitimate choice outside of the two-headed political monster seems a dream that will never happen. It’s probably as much of a shattered dream as seeing our country united again.
At times I have been asked why I enjoy politics to the degree I do. At times it is hard to give an answer.
Monticello native Chris Bridges is a long-time newspaper columnist. He welcomes feedback from readers of The Monticello News at pchrisbridges@gmail.com.