Talking Politics

I know. My blogging has slagged off as of late. In my defense, I try to only write when there's something of interest up in my bidness, or at least something interesting that I'm willing to write about.

A few weeks ago I had dinner with my friends and a former congressman. Fascinating to talk politics with a Washington insider. I told him how hard it was to form staunch political opinions at times because let's face it, how do we trust information that's been funneled through too many people in a wicked game of operator? I asked him flat out if there was any hope for our political system given all of the polarization and blocking going on on Capitol Hill and he pretty much said nope. He suggested grassroots efforts and local involvement as the best way to effect change. He later emailed me an overview of his new consulting firm to edit (me?) . He visits world leaders and works on bridging the Muslim-Christian divide and it was pretty cool to read about some of his philosophies and ideas.

Election Day has come and gone and as usual, I voted all over the freakin' place: Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and a Libertarian. What the heck? I went to all their websites, though, and at least researched the issues before voting, but again, I may agree with certain campaign platforms, but it doesn't mean I can truly determine whether or not they are the best person for the job. Sometimes it feels fruitless, but still, it's a privilege and as long as I have breath in my body, I will vote, even if it looks as if I threw darts to choose my candidates (I didn't). I suspect that the best people for these jobs will never run for office. The truth of the matter is, there's no one politician who will be able to be the salvation of the nation, who will fix all of the problems and clean up all of the messes. We've got to rid ourselves of that expectation and work together to move forward - listen to and respect those with a difference of opinion without taking those differences personally.