“There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.”
- John Adams –
Much evidence leads to the conclusion that our founding fathers feared a two party system, the reasons and endless and since then their suspicions have been reinforced apparently accurate. In a country where we openly vote, share our political views, and have access to information unprecedented in history, our election appetite is declining, voter apathy is the consensus and pessimism is rampant.
George Washington, was an unopposed, two-term president, however his self-removal from office after 8 years gave rise to our two-party system, as John Adams (Federalist), ran against Thomas Jefferson (anti-federalist), which many argue is the inception of our now liberal and conservative party agendas.
The birth of our two-party system has spawned what every business man can tell you are natural – organizational self-survival. The party system has led to its own autonomy, separated from its origin. When a politician puts “the good of the party”, above morality, common sense, or the greater good, that is an example of an organization doing what is necessary to survive.
The two party systems has led to career politicians focusing not on their constituents, but re-election and personal gain, priorities do not lie with those they represent, but with their financial backers and party platform.
As an example, my ballot had five candidate races – three at large council seats, one ward council seat, and president of council seat. All seats but one were unopposed (the president of council seat which was easily won). My ballot was an embarrassment to the democratic republic once designed many years ago. The two political parties have a stronghold on my voting power, not only on a national level, but local as well.
As a consciousness voter, any race with a candidate unopposed, I left that candidate race blank.
Some may bring about the fact that the local primaries had contested races, which are a valid argument, however what I say to that is, once again my choice is limited. Primaries simply separate two like-minded candidates from the same political party, who have the same values and message while the true vote lies with party bosses (whom we never vote for), who create the message, decides who represents the party in elections, and essentially crafts the future for local politics.
Lorain County has approximately 200,000 registered voters, this past Tuesday about 28 percent of them voted. Pundits will say it is because there was no governor’s race or presidential race, and I agree, however it must also be noted how local politics have a stronghold on their communities, picking and choosing who will represent their party on Election Day, when in fact, it should be the other way around.
There are several reasons for our current state of political apathy aside from what is spoken above, such as the need for campaign finance reform, gerrymandering, and political action committees, and closed primaries, but for the purpose of this article those topics will not be discussed.
Our democracy today is a system of us and those, career politicians put salary above constituents, making decisions based on electability and party cohesiveness instead of making choices for the good of those they have been elected to serve and represent.
Across our world people threatened with violence and even death if they vote. Some are paid for their vote, and some are given promises or food and shelter, yet in America voters live in apathy and in many cases have a pessimistic attitude toward the value of their vote.
But like many, I feel change is not only possible, it is coming.
Somewhere along the way we have fundamentally changed how we pick our leaders, today we ask people to change their agenda in exchange for a vote, when we should be electing those whose agenda we naturally and fundamentally call our own. I can feel this change happening, the people are tired of electing those who do not share the same concerns, who do not have the same tribulations, who have never stepped in your living room, or said hello. We must revert back to where parties back the people, not people backing the parties.
