Elections-Who Wins Is Not The Goal
One thing that bothers me more than anything about politics is when it is treated like its a game or sport. Especially here in Canada and the US. It’s a popularity contest that one side fights the other side for power and control. The problem I have with this is-when is the game over and the work begins?
Every election, you get each side showing how only they can make the country prosperous, only their ideas have merit, only their candidate is the “chosen one”. They work on the masses and try to make them love the party like they are their home town football team and the other as the hated, no good rivals from across the tracks. They yell about the corruption on the other side, the terrible policies, the greed, the lying while their own side is the picture of perfection and brilliance in their ability to fix all wrongs and be the shining beacon of truth. They spin the tale of legendary members of the past, like the star quarterback of the ’60’s or the running back of the ’80’s. They get the faithful all full of pride over past accomplishments to cover up the lack of any real legends right now. And when the game is won? They celebrate the win, thank all the people that got them there, raise the cup and take the victory lap. Now the real work begins. Winning the next election. And the game goes on. What about the policies to make life better? What about fixing the healthcare system? Immigration? Education? Nope. It’s back to planning for the next election, paying the donors that paid for you to get there with whatever their priorities are. Look at the list of promises made and pick the easiest to get done and make it look like you’ve accomplished so much. It’s all about playing the game. And the game has forgotten all about its audience, the electorate, a long time ago.
So when someone asks me if I am a Liberal, Conservative, Republican or a Democrat, my response is what is their ideas? What are they saying they want? Are there parts of each that I like? Would having them work together make a stronger solution that keeping each other as the enemy? Because it is like being a sports fan. You team wins the big game. Then what? How has it made a difference in your life? How much have you gotten for the tickets and merchandise you paid for? How have the owners given back to the community that supports them? Do they give back to the legion of fans or threaten to move the team to another city if they don’t buy them a new stadium they could easily afford? At the end of the day, if we are being honest, pride in a team, or a party, is counter productive to one’s own livelihood. I’m not saying “don’t be a fan!” but I am saying “be a fan, but hold those you are a fan of to account.” How many people can honestly say they voted for the best candidate? How many would say they voted for who they always voted for because that’s what they have always done. I recommend trying to not link your identity to a party, like saying “I am a Democrat” or “I am a Republican”. Instead let your identity be “I am a person who needs healthcare, education, efficient government, fair tax laws, law and order.” Then you can vote for whoever you feel will deliver on what you need. It sucks when the person in your party is terrible, but you have to vote for them anyway. That takes away your freedom to choose the best candidate. You become a fan who is judged by what your team does, not by what you do.
Instead of a sport, politics should be about ideas. Different ideas. Working together with differences to make a difference. It should be about wanting to do the job of governing, not just to win the championship. Can you imagine if all good ideas were considered? Could you not get behind a fair sized government that still had social programs and took care of everyone, not just the richest few? There are places like this in the world. We have become so blinded by the thrill of winning and playing the game, we’ve forgotten what we were actually supposed to be doing. It’s not as glamorous to do the work, but it sure is impactful.
