The elections have been over for about sixty days, the new Congress is seated and now the 2008 Presidential election cycle is under way. Didn’t we used to get a break from all this politicking?
Earlier last year, I brought up the idea of “Operation Turnover.” This is my proposal that we vote out every incumbent in both the United States House and Senate. After decades of the same old thing, it seems this drastic measure may be the only way to truly get our leaders’ attention. Nothing else seems to work.
What we really need is a viable third party that offers a genuine alternative to what we have, but that isn’t going to happen any time soon. There are a few excellent third party organizations out there now but they just aren’t getting much traction. I truly wish they were. I long to not have to choose between losing and losing slower.[1]
The fact is that politicians in general ignore the people’s wishes. The people are only important to them during the election cycle. What I am about to say about the Democrats is not meant to be partisan politics because Republicans are equally guilty, in their own way, of ignoring the people. It’s just that now the Democrats are in power.
Let’s be honest, both parties lie. They tell us exactly what we want to hear and we buy it year after year. We are just like Charlie Brown who each year trusted Lucy to hold the football for him. Each year she moved the ball at the last moment causing Charlie Brown to land flat on his back. Good ol’ Charlie Brown. He will let her hold the football next year too and we will believe whatever our politicians tell us.
The real truth is that it isn’t them that are the problem. It’s us. We elected them. They simply reflect us and personally I don’t like what I see.
The Democrats promised many things during the recent election campaign. They’ve been in power only days and are already breaking those promises one by one. Remember when Bill Clinton promised us a tax reduction only to renege immediately upon being elected. I don’t know why we keep on believing these people.
I don’t want to drone on about this. I think each reader knows how it is. The point is that we need change. We need genuine change and not just a switch from Republican to Democrat or visa versa. We need to get new blood in Congress. We need to get old blood out. We especially need to get old blood out. Do you realize that some of our legislators have been in office for decades?This is not what the founding fathers had in mind. It wasn’t supposed to be a career.
So, again, as we enter this new election cycle, I ask you to consider “Operation Turnover.” Vote them out. Vote them all out. This will send a fear through their souls like nothing they have ever even considered. To them this is impossible and certainly unthinkable.
Right now, our leaders know you have nowhere to go. You either vote Republican or Democrat. Most of the time we are forced to vote for the lesser of two evils. It shouldn’t be this way. There are some good people out there who could make a great difference in our world.
Pray about Operation Turnover. Tell others about it and let’s get started getting the word out now while we have time to get the momentum going. If our leaders really thought we were serious about this they would do something desperate like represent us.
I invite you to blog me in response to this article. Let me know what you really think. The bottom line: I’m ready for a real change. I hope you are too.
[1] My good friend Howard Phillips coined the term “losing and losing slower.” His position is that regardless of what party is in power they still slide to the left. The Democrats are on the fast track and the Republicans on the slower track.Mr. Phillips is the founder of the U.S. Constitution Party.
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When you say: "The Democrats promised many things during the recent election campaign. Theyve been in power only days and are already breaking those promises one by one."
Can you say something other than such a vague generalization? Which Democrats? What promises? How did they break them? If you seriously intend not to be partisan, how about including some of those Republican promises that weren't fulfilled (e.g., smaller government)?
Simply trading parties, without stopping the root causes of the problem--the pernicious effects of money and campaigns based on television commercials rather than informed discourse will only mean more of the same. If you are interested in real change, change voting laws to break up the two party system. Develop a system where filing fees cover the costs of polling registered voters about what issues really matter to them, collecting the candidates' responses and distributing their responses to registered voters--no need to raise money, pay for negative ads, or any of the evils that currently plague our system.
Also, democracy comes in many more forms than simply voting. Contact lawmakers, volunteer for causes that matter to you, don't wait for politicians to solve your problems, be involved in your community. Click here to reply to this post
Re: Re: Operation Turnover Revisited
Posted On: 01/16/07 03:44:54 PM
Age 59, GA
Thanks for your feedback. I think I was clear that I was picking on the Democrats only because they are now in power and that Republicans have been equally guilty of things in the past. Basically both parties are playing the same game over and over. This is why we need change, real change with new people.
To be a bit more specfic, as you suggested, throughout the campaign Democrats said they would not raise taxes on the middle class. They have already been talking about doing exactly that now rather than later. How, by raising taxes on dividends and capital gains. This hits many, many middle class people. They want to remove tax breaks to oil companies. This will cause gas prices to rise and hit all people especially the middle class. Speaker Polosi said this would be the most honest Congress ever. The Washington Times reported on 1/12 "House Republicans yesterday declared "something fishy" about the major tuna company in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco district being exempted from the minimum-wage increase that Democrats approved this week.
"I am shocked," said Rep. Eric Cantor, Virginia Republican and his party's chief deputy whip, noting that Mrs. Pelosi campaigned heavily on promises of honest government. "Now we find out that she is exempting hometown companies from minimum wage. This is exactly the hypocrisy and double talk that we have come to expect from the Democrats."
Again, clearly, both parties have failed. We need new blood. Hope this helps. Click here to reply to this post
Re: Operation Turnover Revisited
Posted On: 01/11/07 06:08:27 PM
Age 45, GA
Absolutely -
I have said this to my friends and family for the last two years. The republicans have been in control for years now and nothing has been done in relation to abortion, less government, etc. It's only got worse and will continue to get worse.
Nothing short of a radical conservative turnout to vote out the RHINO's and put in true conservatives. I'm sick and tired of being pandered to by the republicans just like the black vote is pandered by the democrats. We (Christian conservatives) are just being used for votes.
Let's get the right people in Washington; the true conservatives. Click here to reply to this post
Re: Operation Turnover Revisited
Posted On: 01/10/07 02:18:41 PM
Age 58, KY
I agree wholeheartedly, and I have occasionally written about the same idea on the web, calling it "Operation ReNO" (Re-elect NObody). If we could ever evict a large percentage of the incumbents, that would let TPTB know that we are on to them. Then, the real battle would begin. Voting is a negative sanction - it's not who you vote for that counts, its who you vote agains.
Today, there is NO organized political representation for the average working American who does not want any favors from government, but simply wants to be left in peace. Of course, that's how it always is. Those who want favors are small, well-organized groups who will pay government representatives with campaign contribution for their support.
Politicians have two things to sell - their rhetoric, and their votes. The voters get the rhetoric in exchange for votes, while those who pay get the real support.
Stephen Kovaka Click here to reply to this post
Re: Operation Turnover Revisited
Posted On: 01/10/07 01:27:55 PM
Age 59, GA
Thanks. I didn't mention it in my article, but the Constitution Party is, in my opinion, the best 3rd party opportunity out there. I have many, many friends in that party. Their platform is as close to Scriptural principles that I know of. Thanks. Click here to reply to this post
Re: Operation Turnover Revisited
Posted On: 01/10/07 12:50:31 PM
Age 63, OH
Yes I am certainly tired of voting for the lessor evil. But we can not just vote for the person running against whoever is in office. That would mean that Democrats would get seats held by Republicans and Republicans would get the seats held by Democrats. We need a viable third party that supports the constitution and nothing else. --- Lou Click here to reply to this post
