Pedro's Podium: Is the American Two Party System Broken?

The founding fathers were very wise when they created the American system of governance. Considering the chaos and tyranny that governed the world in the 18^th century it is amazing that a system based upon the intricate checks and balances of this country was devised. Our system was originally designed and intended to protect the minority and the majority equally. This system had at least one major flaw, one of them being that they allowed the institution of slavery to continue. The resolution of that error was very costly. By ignoring the social consequences the nation was nearly lost. But it was saved and its fragile legacy lives on till today.

As the years go by there is another flaw that is becoming more and more evident. The idea of seniority rule could cost us our very freedom. We have an entrenched bureaucracy consisting of career politicians and life long government employees. One of the biggest danger is the seniority of the politician. The American people for many years have punished politician and the party for unpopular actions or policies. But the system stays the same. In 2006 and 2008 the American people punished the Republican Party for not sticking to its principles. In districts throughout the country many representatives were shown the door and replaced with “blue dog” Democrats. This was an effort by many to take back our country and return our system to one that was more (lowercase) conservative.

It seems to be a sound principle to punish those who did not follow through on their promises. Holding our leaders to a higher principle is a good American (not just conservative) value that should not be abandoned. But as we have seen since the 2008 election, the people who took control were not the conservation “blue dogs” that were sent. The power just shifted to the senior members. We’ve put people like Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Chris Dodd, Barney Franks, Ted Kennedy, and John Conyers, Jr. in charge.

Mr. Conyers has openly admitted that he is not qualified for the committee that he chairs. By saying that it would do him no good to read the Health Care Reform Bill, since he would need two lawyers to help him understand it, he in effect said that he does not have the skills need for his position. So how did he get this position? He got it through majority rule and seniority. Don’t get me wrong, I believe we must have a government run by the people. I just would like to see people who are qualified in leadership positions.
Nancy Pelosi not only has worked to destroy the CIA, but has imaged that people at town hall meetings are wearing NAZI swastikas. It makes me wonder: What the weather is like on Planet Pelosi? I’m concerned that she is not dealing with reality. The Speaker of the House and third in line to the President seems to be acting might erratic. Is she really qualified for the job? Or did seniority get her there? The real answer falls somewhere within the bureaucracy.

As we’ve seen when the Democrats took control, they saw it as a mandate to implement the Progressive's agenda that the Democratic leadership sought. They’ve used this power to ram rod major bills through, without even considering the content. We were told that we had to pass the “stimulus” bill without debate. But as has been seen, this was more of a political pay off then stimulus, with the next major payments coming just before the next election. It appears to be an attempt for them to buy the next election.

With the recent firestorm over the health care reform bill and the reaction to the out cries of many Americans, we see the arrogance and confidence that the ruling elite have in their power and positions. They dare to call senior citizens who attend public events a mob, plus ignore and ridicule the TEA Party movement. Are they so sure that they are so powerful that they no longer fear the repercussions of an angry electorate? Why is that? Could it be that they know that no matter what the majority of citizens do, they will still maintain their power? Could it be that they are setting up a system that will insure that they can not be defeated? Why else would they denigrate and mock their constituencies?

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We have seen the acceptance of voter intimidation by New Black Panthers. The Justice Department has said in so many words that it is OK to intimidate voters. We have also seen the Census being turned over to Democrat operatives in the guise of ACORN affiliated organizations. Will the 2010 Census be skewed in favor of left leaning Democratic districts? Is this why the powers that be are not worried about their jobs?

How did we get to this state? I believe that we have to do no more than look back at 1968. In that year we were in a very unpopular war. There were anti-war and some anti-American demonstrators, marching in the streets and attempting to disrupt the Democrat Convention in Chicago. In true Chicago form, the anti-war demonstrator were beaten and arrested. The left learned a lesson. They learned that it is easier to fight the system on the inside than on the outside. From that day forward they joined the parties and took control. The years that Ronald Reagan was President was a shock to the Progressives. But they learned even more that they had to better control the media and the electorate.

The Republican “leadership” keeps saying that “we must move the party (left) to the center.” They say: “We must move away from conservative ideas and be more moderate to win.” But the major shifts in power in the last decades have been people looking for leaders who are more conservative. Not the other way around.

So are both parties controlled by the left? No matter what you hear them say, they always seem to want to implement socialist agendas. The control of the Democrat Party is much harder to the left, but look at who was presented as the Republican Presidential candidate in 2008. John McCain was not a conservative choice. His election would have more than likely destroyed the Republican Party. His legislative agenda was not that different from the current one. The addition of Sara Palin turned his campaign around, but the progressives were able to put the focus on her human failings while ignoring those of the other people running.

So here we look to another congressional election in 2010. The Republicans think they can pull another turn around to match their victory in the “Gingridge” revolution of the 90’s. Well in many states there is no choice. You can vote for the incumbent, which is the Democrat sponsored candidate, the Republican sponsored candidate, or stay home. For many this is not acceptable.

I say it is time to demand more from our leaders. We must know that the person we are sending as our representatives will represent our values. We must take back the parties or lose our freedoms. The parties must stand for American values and the severity of our nation. We can no long sit back and watch as we give up what it means to be American and have it mocked by our “leaders.” We must continue to speak out and fight to regain the path to the American dream. We must find a way to make sure that as we change our local leaders, that they still have a voice when they arrive in Washington

So to steal a little from the current President: Yes we can fix the system. We can not survive unless balance is returned. So we as Americans must take back our parties and government. If you love your country and believe in American values, then you must become active in your parties. If you don't then you may wake up one day and find that the American dream is dead.