Tiring of Politics- I Need a Second Wind

As I've observed the blogosphere and the ramping up of the rhetoric, mostly from the Republican side, but also from the Democrats, my basic faith in humanity is on the wane. Conservative pundits and bloggers have their talking points, which they mindlessly and robotically shout in unison, and liberals get their talking points, which they post and in similar fashion.

Basically, this election is about whether the basic values of our Republic, and the rule of law, will be restored to some measure. The reckless lawlessness of the Bush administration has deeply undermined what generations of Americans fought for with their guns and with their words. Wrapping the evidence around a policy for war, perhaps the most egregious act of corruption, is added to torture, illegal eavesdropping, illegal signing statements, and a callous unwillingness to have open government, hiding behind "executive priviledge" like a criminal taking the fifth.

This election isn't about inflated tires, but about deflated values. And though I don't agree with Obama on everything (see my post on Obama's middles class tax cut), an additional four years of Bush/Cheney/McCain is not an acceptable alternative if we are to preserve the basic decent values our Republic stands for. Americans as a people need to be reminded of just how far we have sunk as a society in only 7.5 years of Bushian misrule. And McCain and his neo-Rovian strategies to gain power by any means shows that the Republican party has not changed and responded to the public they wish to govern. Power as an end, rather than a means to an end, and the misuse of that power to line the pockets of friends and donors is the legacy of the Bush administration. McCain's lack of criticism of this corruption shows just how much he has put away the maverik and replaced him with a lackey to the rich and powerful.

And so, if I recharge my jets during the coming weeks, I'll re-enter the fray with the same vitality I have as before. But I need a break. I need to go observe some people doing the right things for the right reasons to restore my confidence, not necessarily in the government, but in the people who vote in November. It is the people I'm concerned about and their preponderance for being easily led and manipulated by appeals to their worst instincts that concerns me. So if you don't see me post every day, it doesn't mean I don't care, it means I need to restore my confidence in those I care about.