Am I the only one who has been inundated by pollsters asking the same questions week after week? This election cycle seems to be yielding not only one of the ugliest campaign conflicts I’ve ever seen, but a paranoia among all parties about what the American public is really thinking.
This seems to be driven by one side seeing a slight tilt to the right in American politics after three decades of tilting the other direction and a desire to continue in that direction. It is also driven by a genuine hatred of the President, feelings fanned by endless social media posts.
Much of the vitriol on the left ignores the lessons of two centuries ago when the founding fathers chose to make the United States a Republic instead of a democracy for some very good reasons. On the other side, strong voices continue to lash out at cultural changes that challenge their beliefs.
It reminds me of a fictional debate between people with strong opinions standing on a stage, screaming at each other because neither can hear, since both are wearing earplugs. I was recently the guest on a podcast by the author Terrence Layhew. Somehow, we drifted into a discussion on equity and equality. This may sound like heresy, but I’m not a big fan of equality.
What I am a fan of is, “stretching to reach for something that you want to attain.” All men are created equal in that we have the opportunity to grow as far as our mental and physical strengths allow. Sometimes others’ positions motivate us to use those strengths. (I would love to one day, in one conversation, be compared to Ernest Hemingway or Ernest K. Gann.)
Now, back to politics and the constant polling. With literally billions of dollars being spent to inspire our opinions, it seems most of it is wasted. We are all different and that makes us interesting. It also challenges us to understand the foundations of the country and then listen to each other instead of the political elites screaming at the top of their lungs like spoiled brats.