Name:   copperline - Subject:   Sad But True Date:   8/29/2015 4:18:41 PM

There may be a number of explanations for this, but one of them surely has to be that the voting public has been electing politicians whose sole interest is either shrinking or dismantling the US government....not conducting the critically important business of managing the world's largest democracy.   Another issue is probably the prominence of single-issue candidates whose focus and understanding of governing is limited to attempts to codify their religion into law, or some other narrow view of what their responsibilities will be.     Gridlock became the norm when so many Congressmen have limited understanding of complex issues (Snow is proof that climate change is not happening) or willing to embrace damaging tactics to achieve their agenda (like shutting down the government in order to defund Planned Parenthood), or simply feel that negotiating with opposing views means that you have conceded defeat.

I like what Pogo said, we have met the enemy.... and it is us.   (Younger readers will need to google "Pogo")  We like catchy sound bites & empty slogans more than we like to accept that the business at hand is complicated and requires us to take the time to study the issues.   Maybe as a nation we just don't like to think very much, and our elected officials reflect that part of the national character.   

The US voting public is either apathetic or negative toward the process of governing the country.  It follows that we expect too little from the people who eventually get elected to these offices.    Words like "Statesman" or "Scholar" are never used to promote political candidates anymore, and the vicious use of character assassination in political campaigns limits the entry of sane, reasonable people into the pool of potential candidates for office.    

And only the dumbed-down Presidential race captures enough of the public's attention to arouse semi-serious public debate.

Rant over.  Next.