Monday, December 3, 2007

Colorado Pols Make My Point About the Party System…

Colorado Pols is a great web site if you want to find out what the “insiders” of politics here in Colorado are thinking. I review it often. My name was actually mentioned there under the post; “El Paso Co. Repubs indicating Rayburn and Lamborn will petition on ballot, by-passing 5th CD caucus” (Nice to see someone remembered my name). For my many out of state viewers, I will not address the “inside” issues here, but rather the larger impact of the party selection process for candidates, and why it has “poisoned” the political process of our nation.

The parties are giving us candidates that do not reflect the need of our electorate because the process continues to be a contest in promising support to specific powerful special interest groups in the Republican Party (RP). For example; the Right to Life groups are very influential in the party, and they want a candidate like Doug Lamborn because basically that is Doug’s issue, and it guarantees their agenda moves forward. Special interests want people they can “influence and control”. The same thing goes on in the Democratic Party, these one issue groups are wielding disproportionate power over the candidate selection process within the parties. It is “poison” for the political system at large.

What we have at the national level is 535 Doug Lamborns, and the interest parties they represent, with power and influence over the national agenda that does not fit the priorities we must face as a nation. I am not saying abortion is not an important issue, it is, what I am saying is we are watching our borders being overwhelmed by people we know nothing about, entering our country illegally, a Social Security system heading for bankruptcy; fast, politicians threatening to have the government take over our healthcare decisions, and a federal budget that is so out of control most people have given up on any concept of making cuts and fighting for efficiency. The parties have “Balkanized” the issues without anyone stepping back and looking at how all these issues together impact the country as a whole. That would be called leadership.

So what we have is a “pawn”, Doug Lamborn, promoting the pro life stance without any effort to impact the larger issues that important to this nation. He is being challenged in the process by two other republicans but the focus should not be which candidate is best for the party faithful, it should be about who is the best candidate for the district and the country. The party system has lost site of the big picture. That is why I am petitioning on as an unaffiliated candidate this year.

Someone has to step in here and be a leader for the big picture. I am sure the “insiders” at the Colorado Polls will disagree, but I am betting the public at large may think differently. Just a thought, just a hope…

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You are so right! What goes on in Colorado is going on throughout the USA. Self interest pervades our political system. The politicians rely on an uninformed electorate to push their own agendas, ignoring the plight of our country, both domestic & foreign. APH