Warning: The Campaign Seasons Are Open!

Now that 2014 campaigns are under way and 2016’s will follow suit immediately thereafter, it is appropriate to take a look at what it means for you, the constituents. You are already being bombarded with TV ads – similar to this – that have no purpose other than “to paint the opponents with a bad brush”. None of the candidates (incumbents and aspirants) address the issues you are concerned about; they don’t have to. With campaign contribution unbridled, thanks to the wisdom of the Supreme Court, those candidates vying for Washington Heaven – where taxpayers take care of their every wish – will say anything (no matter how untrue, disgusting or repulsive) to reach Washington, the promised land. And YOU contribute – one way or another – to that permanent state of affair

Most incumbents – in The House and the Senate – have been at their jobs for 25 years or longer; they will be coming to you – the voters – again, asking to send them back to Washington to defend your interests. And you will believe them, just like an abused woman believes that her 25-year abuser suddenly has a change of heart. As you’ve already realized and experienced, for 25 years or longer, your Congressmen and your Senators have been abusing your trust, taking your votes for granted and laughing at your face when you need their help, for instance in extending unemployment benefit or giving you the opportunity to obtain health coverage.

Insanity, it’s said, is doing the same thing over and over and over but expecting a different result. To put it simply, no matter how many times you add two to two (2+2), the answer will always be four (4), unless you’re insane to expect otherwise. For the past three plus years, Congress’s job approval rating has been at a dismal 14 percent (14%) according to GALLUP Politics. So, you know that your Senators (or Congressmen) are not doing the job you elected them to do; they do not keep the promises they made to you during their campaigns. To send those same Representatives back to Washington is insanititis (a very rare form of insanity; science has not found its causes yet and no cure is available as of this publication). What choice do you have, you might ask? I am glad you asked.

First, in the 2014 election, think Country instead of Party; while you’re at it, make the commitment to vote that way from now on. The Country should matter more than a Party.

Second, encourage your neighbors, your friends, your family to vote; give them a ride, or ride with them to the voting sites during voting seasons. Trust the power of number, it works. In Australia, everyone who is eligible to vote MUST vote. That’s the only opportunity you have to make a BIG difference in the future of the Country.

Third, help stop the mudslinging; demand that all candidates talk about how they propose to solve issues in your State, not what their opponents are doing or not doing. Surveys show that most people are influenced by campaign ads. The best mudslinger wins most of the time. Translation, you do not matter a bit.

Fourth, boycott with your wallet; tell your local TV stations that you, your friends, your neighbors will stop watching if they continue to run mudslinging ads. If they don’t, follow through with your threat. Once their audience starts dwindling, they will fall in line. Most TV Networks are paid handsomely (they call it advertising) by politicians to make sure you do not matter.

Fifth, walk away from madness; assuming you are not already infected with insanititis, educate yourself from non-partisan publications (websites, books, documentaries, etc…) of the issues that concern you. Walk away from Party’s propagandas; become an agent of change not a puppet.

Did I miss anything? Well, add it to the list

Follow Mike Ducheine on Twitter: @mducheiney

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