We're all the same - in different ways

I recently went to my uncle's birthday party.  Several of my family members were there.  As seems to be the case in recent years, conversations often turned to politics.

Now you might think that kids that grew up together in the same house in a small town (Wasco, CA), would all think the same about something as important as politics.

Turns out not to be the case.

Amongst us, including more distant relatives, there were Democrats, Republicans and Tea Partys.  Yes, one relative actually wants Sarah Palin to run for president.

Throughout the numerous discussions, I looked for similarities rather than how we differ.  Here are some of my findings.

What does the statement "I want a small government." mean?  My first thought is that you must be a Republican.  However, what it really means has much more universal appeal.  We all want a strong defense.  We want Medicare and Social Security.  We want to be able to collect taxes and we all want public libraries.  What we don't want is unnecessary spending.  I saw a news article this week where 5 billion in spending was wasted in rebuilding Iraq.  I recently saw that there are 15 security agencies, none of which talk to each other and most spend time duplicating the work of each other.  That kind of stuff burns me up.

So, when a politician says, "I want a smaller government," ask them to be more specific because everyone wants that; both parties want that.  So, ask the politician what they would cut.  Is it going to be education?  Highway funds? Don't let them get away with saying, "You know, stuff.  I would cut stuff.  Waste and stuff."

There has never been a politician that has run on the policy of supporting wasteful spending and yet both major parties would have you believe just that about their opponent.

Another one is health care.  It seems that everyone wants lower health costs.  Obama care is making insurance companies spend 85% of their income on patients instead of 75%.  Everyone should like that.  Obama care means that my 22 year old daughter can be put on my policy at the end of the year, at no additional cost to me.  I see nothing to not like about that.  No one wants the government to run a healthcare company but they all want the government to make the insurance companies behave.  Obama care is not the government running health care.  It is just a bit of legislation to make the health care companies behave.  Most would like to see the health care tort system reigned in but let's face it, all of our lawmakers were lawyers to begin with.  They aren't going to do anything in this area.

Another issue is Finance Reform.

Ask anyone the following question: "Should the government pass laws that make our financial systems behave or should we trust the banks to do that on their own?"  No one trusts the banks so we all agree on the legislation to make them behave.  Those against it would have you believe the government has become a bank.  That is simply not the case.

We all agree that jobs are important.  We all want a comprehensive energy policy.  We all want the world to be at peace.  These are things we all want.  I can't see Obama saying, "Naw, jobs are not important."  It just doesn't happen.  Opposition parties will have you believe that they are the only ones that want these things.

We all agree that those in politics now have jumped off the tracks.

Let me summarize what EVERYONE wants:

Cheap and comprehensive health care
No wasteful spending
More jobs
Cheap and plentiful energy
Sound financial systems
Better politicians

How can we all want the same thing and then argue about who is right?  My guess is that somewhere along the line, we were imprinted with a perspective.  All of our arguing is basically trying to get everyone else to see our perspective, in spite of the fact that what we all want is all the same.

So, if we all want these things, how do we know who to vote for.  If everyone gets up and says the same things, how will we be able to differentiate?

My advice is to listen for one of the following three things.  If you hear one of them, then vote for the other person.

1. The politician gives a speech (or commercial) talking about how bad their opponent is rather than highlighting their own personal strengths.
2. The politician claims that they support any of the Universal things that people want and imply that their opponent does not.
3.  The politician says blah, blah, blah God Bless America.  This says several things.  First of all, it implies that their opponent is not as patriotic as they are.  Secondly, it says they have no position of substance.

I intend to watch their eyes.  John Boehner was on Meet the Press and got caught disagreeing with Alan Greenspan.  I could see in his eyes he got caught not knowing what he was talking about.

I will vote for the one that is not afraid to stand up and say, "These are the things that I stand for."  I will not vote for popular dogma.  I will not vote for the one that can afford the biggest smear campaign.

I will vote for the one that I feel is telling me the truth and its a truth that I also believe in.

Speaking of Truth Justice, and the American Way,

I have a world to save.

Up, up and away.

j