Vote Early & Vote Often

Paraphrased from a Sunday News show*:

Evan Bayh:  If the American people want more moderate politicians that are willing to compromise then they need to vote during the primaries. 

Dana Perino:  Neither party wants more moderate candidates elected.

Evan Bayh: Yes, but polls show the American people do.

Dana Perino:  Well lets see if they come out and vote.  I don't think they will.

Hey, Evan Bayh just told you how to fix Washington, and the political parties don't want you to think about it.  The trick is, vote.  Vote early, vote often, and more specifically vote in the primaries.  This decides whether a partisan candidate, or someone more pragmatic makes it to the big dance.  Partisans typically vote for partisans, and they often show up en masse to vote during the primaries.  More power to them; literally, those who vote hold the power.

Yes, this sounds like a cheesy civics lesson, but consider why parties spend millions on get out the vote efforts.  The power is ultimately in the hands of the people.  The question is, 'Do you really want Washington to change?'  A little time, attention, and homework, and you can figure out who represents you best.  Wading through slogans, and pettiness, and all the campaign rhetoric can absolutely be aggravating, and the political parties are counting on you giving up.  Don't.

Washington politicians are maddening, yet we have the good fortune of living in a democracy.  These goobers weren't selected for us.  There was no coup or violent revolution that installed them, and it's easy to forget how fortunate we are to live with this peaceful yet maddening system.  We picked them, so like it or not their ours.

I don't write about politics much anymore.  One main reason is that I don't feel my opinions need to be your opinions.  If you ask, I'll tell you that I lean right fiscally, and lean left socially.  If you disagree - no problem.  I doubt that we can all get along, but some of us can.  I write this in an attempt to convince you of only one thing - Washington can change via simple arithmetic.  The polls continuously report that 'the people' are fed up with Washington and its acrimony and discord.  So if 'the people' care enough to pay attention and vote in the primaries and not just the general election that is a remarkably simple solution to what seems to be the endlessly annoying problem of Washington politics.

*Couldn't find the transcript for Fox News Sunday from October 16, 2013, so the quotes are paraphrased.

Evan Bayh is a member of No Labels a group working to promote bipartisan solutions.

The Political Courage of John McCain