Picking parties and candidates is not easy – Part Three

Shannon Bohrer

(Nov, 2010) Last month I gave you part one of "Picking parties and candidates." This month we have part three and next month we will have part two. Part two will come last because I predicted the winners in each election. If part two were to be printed before the election, both of my readers could influence the results; hence I will only release part two after the election.

Each party projects different images but both parties’ actions often have a strong resemblance to each other. The conservatives say they believe in smaller government and less spending. During the last eight years, however, when conservatives held office the national debt increased by 50 percent and government grew by 40 percent. Isn’t that the fear of what will occur if the liberals stay in? The liberals also said that the bailouts and stimulus were needed and would keep the unemployment under 8 percent. Maybe they did not say what year that would occur. Both parties seem to think that tax relief will create jobs, but after the tax reductions in 2001 and 2003 not one new net job was created in 8 years, except within the government.

I have friends on both sides of this issue and at both ends of the loyalty. It perplexes me as to why someone would have such strong convictions to either party. After all, each party is just a political party and one could make an argument that neither party does what it says. I don’t believe a family member and/or neighbor who always promised something but never delivered on the promise would enjoy your loyalty. Why is a political party treated differently by many individuals?

After some serious thought I have come to the conclusion that there are individuals who have such strong political beliefs that they can only vote for one party. The concept being that one party is not just better than the other but so superior that there is no reason to ever vote for the other party. If we ask the candidates to "tell me what you are going to do, do what you say and show me the result," I would find it particularly difficult to constantly pick one part over the other. It is sometime hard to pick either party. "Sometimes your choice is bad or worst and sometimes worst is the better choice."

Thinking of the loyalty issue caused me to have examined the issue further. After extensive research I have found two types of individuals who would believe their party is superior and that one should never vote for the other party! There is type limited and type invested, both of which do not cross party lines. I am sure that my analysis will annoy and displease some people and I can assure you that is not my intent, well maybe, whatever.

"Sometimes your choice is bad or worst and sometimes worst is the better choice."

It has been said that some men are blind men and don’t see very well; some men have limited hearing and don’t listen very well; and some men are prejudice and only see and hear what they want to see and hear. In some ways we are all blind, we all have limitations and our prejudices are usually unknown to us, but sometimes obvious to others. The extremes in both parties resemble the type limited. The limited extremes in both political parties seem to be extreme examples of being blind and hearing impaired and their bias toward their own party limits what they see, say and do. An argument could be made that the limited persons are not just loyal to their party, but they sometimes find problems that may not exist with the other party. Additionally, they often justify, rationalize, defend and substantiate anything their party says or does.

If President Obama awoke one morning and floated across the floor, the limited extremes on the other side would say that Obama cannot walk. If Sara Palin found an ancient table in the desert and she read the entire text while seemingly in a trance, the other side would say she had the text written on her hand! No matter what the other side does – IT IS WRONG from the perspective of the type limited. If either party found a cure for cancer, the extremes in the other party would have difficulty acknowledging that cancer exists…

The invested type is similar to the limited but a closer examination can reveal the differences. The invested type consists of individuals who were raised within one party and have been supporting a party for so long that they cannot change. If they changed political parties, it would be saying that everything they believed in was not totally correct. If an invested type is lost, they cannot admit to it – someone changed the road, moved a building and/or the map is wrong. If lost, the extreme invested type will often drive faster – even if they are not sure of the direction, as if that will help. And no – I am not invested…

Maybe we are all a little invested in what we believe, maybe we all have vision and hearing problems and not just those of us who are older, but being loyal should require something to be loyal to. Conversely, loyalty is thought to be a very good character issue.

It is ok to find likes and dislikes with both parties, and if you like just one party that is alright also. We can always use examples of limited and invested behavior – from both sides.

Read part 3