The Fallacy Of Perfection...

"The political and commercial morals of the United States are not merely food for laughter, they are the entire banquet." Thus wrote Mark Twain in the late 1800s as he surveyed the political and economic climate of his era. Decades later Twain's words still ring valid in our modern day ears, but any semblance of humor concerning the antics of present day government officials, particularly on the Federal level, leave the majority of Americans with a decidedly sour taste in their mouths. It serves no beneficial purpose, therefore, for this author to categorize even minimally the degrees of quagmire and stalemate that our elected Washington officials have deliberately infused upon themselves and their constituents each is allegedly elected to represent. Partisan politics have long ago dissolved from a mere difference of opinions to a veritable war of intractable wills, wherein each side of the political spectrum spews vitriolic epitaphs of course disdain, twisting fact into fiction to suit their own ambitious ends to secure and maintain power "at any cost." Our elected leaders have forsaken undertaking that which is good for the country and adopted that which is the most expedient for themselves and their respective political party, and ultimately will gain them the most votes in the up-coming 2008 national elections, which still remains - God help us all - sixteen months distant.

Which brings me to the point of this dissertation. Elections at all levels of government have become much like Florida hurricanes; we just get our heads above water when another one blows through. The off-year elections of 2006 had barely been tabulated when potential candidates for President began coming out of the woodwork like termites in search of their next two by four. It is now "standing room only" only on both sides of the aisle, with potentially more undeclared candidates waiting in the wings to join the fray. Except for the radical fringe elements of both parties and the over-analytical radio talk hosts, very few Americans are at this juncture giving even minimal credence to the barrage of accusational rhetoric and hollow promises that are spilling like so much bilge out of the would-be candidates. In this interim between candidate declarations of intent and the first presidential primaries, Americans more productively engage themselves in the more pressing business of meeting the demands of our day-to-day lives. The war in Iraq goes on, gas prices continue to climb, home owner's insurance becomes increasingly unaffordable, as does the cost of health insurance, and the Democrat controlled Congress seeks additional avenues to increase their tax revenues believing they know better how to spend our hard earned money they do we the people who earn it. Is it any wonder that the American people as a whole have little interest in politics when politics provides nothing of value for the American people?

The season of decision is coming soon when the American populace will become more actively re-engaged in the attempt to determine which of the myriad of jostling candidates for the higher elected positions appear to be best qualified to take the mantle of "leadership." If past pre-election cycles are any indication, there shall be much noise and fury, but little substance. It is, therefore, vitally important that as individual voters we assess our own personal priorities as to what is the top one, two or three issues that most affects our lives and that of our families. It is one thing, as a personal example, to be concerned about environmental issues, but should that concern take precedent over the ever looming reality that there are radical religious factions in the world which have vowed even unto their own demise to destroy the fabric of our society? It is an honorable and worthy priority to assure that we all have clean and and water to drink. But does this objective warrant first place on our personal list of priorities if a dirty nuclear bomb detonates in one of our major population centers and the very idea of clean air and water become disastrously mote?

Do not allow yourselves to become caught up in the rhetoric of irrelevancies. Every candidate will vow that they have only our best interest at heart and have the leadership abilities to do a more competent job than their opponent. Here's the bottom line. No candidate, regardless of their credentials, is perfectly suited to confront the problems and challenges of this 21st Century world. If we are seeking the "prefect" candidate that can address all of the issues that grab the headlines today, we will be sorely disappointed. Carefully select the candidate that best emulates your personal beliefs on the issues you have identified as being the most vital to your well-being and accept as "acceptable" those other positions that may not exactly align with your ideologies. Candidates that promise to be "all things to all people" can no neither. In this world the fallacy of perfection is the belief that mankind can be so.