COLUMN: Continuing to accept politics as usual

As a result, Bill Clinton was voted in.

Two years later, many were tired of the new president and swept many Republicans back in office.

Two shorts years later that disappointment with President Clinton had eased off to the point that he was re-elected in pretty much a landslide against Bob Dole.

In 2008, Americans, rightfully fed up with George Bush (the second one), decide to give Democrats another chance and vote Barack Obama into office. I’ll be the first to say a change was certainly needed. Yet, if we vote in the wrong change, what do we accomplish?

Only a year later, a state known for voting liberal, votes in a Republican senator to take the place of perhaps the best known Democratic senator in the last 100 years.

And so it goes, on and on and on. Sigh. When will some people learn? I’ve been saying for years that it really doesn’t matter who we send to Washington. The current political system is broken. How many times do you continue to patch the same tire before you wake up and buy a new one?

When the best a candidate from either the Republican or Democratic parties has to offer is “I’m better because I’m not the incumbent and look at how bad the incumbent party is doing” then you better realize what you are setting yourself up for.

Change for change’s sake is not getting us anywhere. We can elect Republicans to replace Democrats and nothing is going to change. We can elect Democrats to replace Republicans and nothing is going to change.

Until voters wake up from their political slumber and realize a third party is needed, we will continue to be in the same sinking boat we are going under in. It doesn’t matter if you stick a piece of gum in the hole in the bottom of the boat, it is still going to sink eventually. This political process we have is sinking and sinking fast. Time to quit trying to bail out and get into another boat.

Whether it is the Libertarian Party (my choice), the Constitution Party, the Tea Party or even supporting an independent candidate, it’s time to start thinking outside the box. We can’t expect solutions when we continue to give the wrong answers.

In 2008, it was the Republican Party which fell victim to the tidal wave of voter revolt. Right now, it appears the tide is sweeping the other direction. But what good is that going to do? Candidates elected on single issues aren’t set up to be effective for the long haul.

Until we realize that they all need to be thrown out, along with this broken two-party system, we will continue to have the same problems, with no viable solution in sight.

It’s time to wake up people. Shed the broken system of the two parties which, in reality, don’t have enough difference between them to amount to anything.

If you truly value change, then look beyond the same slate of candidates. At the very least, look beyond candidates who simply used one office to seek a higher one. Our state and our country depend on it. The election results of 2010 and beyond are as vital as they have ever been. Until people wake up and realize this, we will continue to be drifting in the Atlantic on a sinking boat with no rescue in sight.

Chris Bridges is editor of the Barrow Journal. You can reach him at cbridges@barrowjournal.com.