Man Versus Machine

Man Versus Machine

It seems America’s love for things processed doesn’t stop at fast food. The issues important to us have been ground up into barely palatable bits of political goo, deep fried and packaged for mass marketing. Maybe we can even get a free superhero figure for the kids if we buy the whole combo.

While those who were pushing the status quo celebrate their victories, I fight off a sense of frustration and bitterness. There were several men of strong character fighting for a chance to represent us yesterday. As has happened in many other states, the establishment candidates, hand-picked by those who wield political power, have won nearly every race. Despite the cries of Anyone But Coats by thousands of informed Hoosiers, the Coats victory was the first announced last night; coming just 2:45 after the polls closed here. While we waited for some of the slower Lake County precincts to report, the Republican race for 1st congressional district was effectively narrowed down to Dumb vs. Dumezich. The headlines continued to roll in from each side of the aisle with no surprises and no new names. Visclosky, Leyva, Repay, Coats, Ellsworth, Rokita, O’Donnell, Philpot, Gensel . . . the list of candidates from both parties reads like a Who’s Who from the turn of the century.

The Coats race is probably the most telling. Facing strong competition for his seat in 1998, Coats chose to leave Indiana for a lucrative K Street lobbying position. From 1998 to today, Marlin Stutzman, John Hostettler, Richard Behney and Don Bates lived and worked in Indiana. They cared about their local communities and learned the issues important to those who live here. They presented their positions to the voters and provided hope for a new direction for the State and the Republican Party. Coats entered the race with the endorsement of nearly every party loyalist in the nation. Some, like that of Pence, were surprising to us. Nonetheless, many of us believed that principle would ultimately prevail over party.

The opinions I express here are solely my own and carry no more or less weight than that of any other individual in our society. It is of paramount importance that I take a moment this morning to thank God for providing me a healthy dose of humility. Like a child eating a brussel sprout, I will plug my nose, reluctantly swallow it, and grow.

This is a repost from nwipatriots.com and reflects the opinion of the author only. I would like to thank Steve for allowing me to post here.