It is a shame how accurate the movie The Campaign is regarding the present state of our political system. Granted there are some exaggerated premises for the sake of humor in the storyline but it does sum up the current environment on how we choose our elected officials.
I say current; maybe it has gone on since the beginning of our republic, who knows? All I have to go by is my personal experience of running for a State House seat and also following politics on the federal level. My near miss in a run for GA State House … I actually thought I could make a difference but maybe it was just temporary insanity on my part.
In the movie, Will Ferrell’s character opens saying America, Jesus, and Freedom to his campaign manager and then proceeds to say he doesn’t know what that means but people seem to love it. Sadly, this mimics real life these days. Voters seem to prefer the feel good slogans rather than diving into the true character of candidates.
I’m the opposite, forget the tofu talking points and give me some meat and potatoes on what you really believe. If they are an incumbent then all I want to know is their voting record. Skip the warm and fuzzy stump speech and just give me the reasons of why you voted for or against certain legislation. Or better yet, give me some legislation and red tape that you have eliminated and you are certain to get my vote. Uphold the Constitution and I might even make a contribution and promote you. If we don’t get small government Constitutionalists elected, America as we used to know her will eventually cease to exist.
Another accurate depiction in the movie that felt much like my personal experience in the political arena is how you end up feeling like you are at war with your opponents. There were seven people running in my race, not all felt like enemies, some actually became friends when it was over. During the race, though, you get false accusations and lies told about you. Heck, I got very angry at some of the opponents and am not even sure why now that I look back on it. Politics can be like living in bizzaro world.
The fabricated stories of where I stood on issues were discouraging to me since I’ve been in the business world and have worked hard for a good reputation. Which basically is just following through with what you have promised. It’s not always the easiest formula but it is a simple concept that I have always tried to achieve. Compared to politics though, business is a piece of cake.
There are several run off elections happening in my area right now and I think some could possibly end in a knife fight. Misleading ads and mailers have almost gotten as far fetched as Zach Galifianakis’ character’s dogs being accused of being Communists because the breed originated from China.
Pandering for votes is another one of my pet peeves which The Campaign did a great job of successfully showing in a funny way. My personal favorite was “Filipino Tilt-A-Whirl operators are this nation’s backbone”. Unfortunately a lot of us are dumb enough to believe the verbal excrement that spews from politician’s mouths as they blow smoke up our various demographic skirts.
In a perfect world, I definitely would prefer for my politician to be a Christian, but honestly it is more of how they vote to me. So many politicians make the “America, Jesus, & Freedom” claim; but I really don’t think they know what it means either. I would rather have a small government Constitutionalist than a big government politician that claims to be a Christian in office. If you’re a Christian prove it by your actions and not your rhetoric.
Some may disagree with me on this one. I’ll admit I’m probably a little over the top on the subject because I don’t even like when private sector people put fish signs on their business cards. It actually discourages me from using a subcontractor when I see this. Be the best in your field, do a good job, follow through on your promises, & prove yourself by your work. Jesus shouldn’t be part of your marketing strategy to land new clients.
