Eric Cantor, House Majority Leader had his head handed to him by a neophyte “Tea Party Candidate” in last night’s Republican primary.
There’s a group of people the Republicans neglected to understand because Republicans narrowed their vision to the point they can’t see beyond a two-party system. Democrats and Republicans alike forgot they represent PEOPLE not merely parties. This is referred to as being entrenched or locked into a form of warfare where you stand in your pit, occasionally attack your enemy by charging across a piece of ground known as “no man’s land and regularly stand in the water and sepsis maintained because you’re stuck in the confines of your own area of influence.
This leads to a condition called “immersion foot” of “Trench Foot”. “Affected feet may become numb, affected by erythrosis (turning red) or cyanosis (turning blue) as a result of poor vascular supply, and feet may begin to have a decaying odor due to the possibility of the early stages of necrosis setting in. As the condition worsens, feet may also begin to swell. Advanced trench foot … involves blisters and open sores, which lead to fungal infections; this is sometimes called tropical ulcer (jungle rot). If left untreated, trench foot usually results in gangrene, which can cause the need for amputation. If trench foot is treated properly, complete recovery is normal, though it is marked by severe short-term pain when feeling returns. As with other cold-related injuries, trench foot leaves sufferers more susceptible to it in the future.” (Wikipedia 2014)
Can you think of anything better describes the political malady afflicting the Republican Party and politics in general in this country? Is there any doubt the entrenched and self-serving hierarchy of both political parties has started suffering the “numb” feeling of ideology based thought processes rather than listening to what concerns their constituency? Isn’t it recognizable political dogma, controlled by its stuffed shirt chain of command, takes precedence over integrity and representation of the people elected them? This “leadership” becomes a matter of entitlement because loyalty to the “old school tie” (the party) rather than the voters led to this decadent odor those same “leaders” deny because it doesn’t serve their purposes?
The metaphor has a potency needs recognition because failing to do so could lead to very dire circumstances for both parties. This condition of political “entrenchment” has shown the development of electoral “gangrene” causing a political appendage to be amputated by popular vote. The problem with political gangrene is the disease is slow and insidious at first then virulent as it progresses. It threatens the entire person with the sepsis is stringent party-based political ideology. When the sepsis becomes all encompassing, the person or party dies from its internal rot.
George Washington warned against political parties in his Farewell Address. Washington warned the American people’s independence and liberty depend upon unity between the states and not a specific class of elected officials along party lines. He said the constitutionally created union of free and independent states, could suffer frequent, focused attacks by foreign and domestic national enemies. Washington warned people should hold suspect anyone seeking to weaken the bonds holding the constitutional union together through party affiliation. Washington urged we place our identity as Americans above our personal identities as members of a state, city, region or party.
Washington warned political factions would seek to obstruct the execution of the laws created by the government. Or they could prevent the constitutional branches from enacting the powers provided them by the constitution by claiming they work at answering popular demands or solving pressing problems, but their true intention is to take the power from the people and place it in the hands of unjust men. (Wikipedia 2014)
Washington accepted the naturalness for people organizing and operating within groups like political parties. It’s a constitutionally guaranteed freedom to assemble as we please but, he also argued every government has recognized political parties as enemies and tried repressing them because they tend to seek more power than other groups and take revenge on political opponents.
Sound familiar? This is why Reid, Pelosi, McConnell, Boehner and Cantor were blindsided by Cantor’s loss: they just can’t get their heads out of their butts and recognize some people DO NOT accept their control of this nation according to party ideology. We want to self-govern only with their help – NOT by their commandment.
Thanks for listening
