COLUMN: Elections bring out liberal frustrations

I believe in democracy and take my duty to go to the polls very seriously, but for the past few years (actually more than a few years) voting has become like eating at my mother-in-law’s house where two casseroles known as “Bad” and “Worse” are routinely served.

Take this year’s races. By the time you read this we will know the results of the runoff election, which means (because our current political landscape is like a buffet where the only choice is fried chicken) most of the races will have been decided. My bet? Some version of conservative Republican freedom fighter will have won.

Which version? It hardly matters because they’re all so much the same.

Actually, there was one candidate I was almost impressed with - Frank Ginn, vying with Shane Coley for the State Senate, District 47 seat. In addition to having a great last name (“Ginn, a tonic for troubled times” would’ve been my slogan suggestion) he had an intelligent, easy to use website where he used a few buzz words that were different from the other candidates.

Of course, he included the standard arsenal of conservative catch phrases that seem to be required, at least in local races (Ginn vs Coley and Rob Woodall vs Jodi Hice for the US House District 7 seat) but, Ginn also used words like “manager,” “efficiency,” “empower,” “team building,” and “problem solver.” He said his top priority is to “grow jobs” and help families. He mentioned protecting water resources and improving roads – two refreshingly non-lofty goals as compared to his opponent’s promises of “liberty and justice for all” and “real solutions for real life.” Ginn also talked about “expertise,” “work ethic” and “improving our lives at home,” striking a humbler, more realistic tone than his opponent, who called himself a “battle-worn constitutional conservative.”

(As an aside, both guys want to improve education, which is paid for by those taxes they both want to cut…) In the US House District 7 race, it was hard to find a “Bad” in all of that “Worse.” Woodall has the experience of having been Rep. Linder’s chief of staff, but his plan to introducing four bills on his first day in Congress seems a little unrealistic. Maybe he could eliminate birth right citizenship for the children of illegal aliens and freeze federal spending on the first day, then defund and repeal TARP and “Stimulus” and introduce The Fair Tax bill later in the week… As for Jody Hice, he lost me during his Ten Commandments crusade and that move from pastor to talk show host seemed a little shady; but the icing on the conservative cake for me was his billboard campaign — the one where he changed the C in Obama’s “Change” to the hammer and sickle from the Soviet Russian flag. There’s grandstanding and then there’s just plain wrong.

I yearn for the days when I had a choice in the voting booth – back when there actually were two parties and that was okay. In order to run for office these days (and have more than an iceberg’s chance in hell of winning) a candidate must be a Republican, a conservative then embrace the following: be pro-gun and Pro Life; promise to lower taxes and be willing to fight for all those personal freedoms we’re currently losing; at least claim to be principled and promise to defend conservative values; support Arizona-style immigration laws; decrease the size and scope of government; and be comfortable with fear. Fear is a big component in politics these days – it’s important that we all stay very, very scared.

In case you can’t already tell, I’ll be voting for Roy Barnes for governor in November. Maybe if a few of us die-hard Democrat dreamers keep voting, eventually there will be something to vote for besides elephants. Maybe the Yellow Dogs and Blue Dogs and Boll Weevils will come out of hiding and maybe a few more Gypsy Moths will see the light. Then we’ll have something to choose from besides “Bad” and “Worse” at that all-you-can-eat-fried-chicken-onlybuffet known as a voting booth.

Now, before you get your conservative undies all in a bundle, remember, this is just my opinion – nothing more. And isn’t it a blessing to live in a country where we can still voice our opinions freely – no matter how misguided to others they may seem?

is a writer for the Barrow Journal. She can be reached at lorin@barrowjournal.com