Where is the American Political Center?

As the great American political bandwagon is finally coming to a gradual temporary halt with the closure of the election season, the nation is at last finding itself able to pause and look back on the events of the past year in a more reflective tone. While the political game was on, it seemed that the distracting whirlwind of propaganda, hype and partisanism made realistic contemplation near impossible for many of us. Now that the dust seems to be settling, Americans are finally beginning to ask the long postponed question: so what? I choose to use this particular question, not only because it is the carefully chosen title of this blog, but because in my opinion, it represents the search for the deep implications and effects of the events which occupy our lives.

In the case of our now changed political environment, the question "so what?" is being asked by Americans everywhere; across all social categories, cultural lines, belief systems and political associations. The citizens of this nation know that history has been made. They know that this new America is not the America that it was a year ago. There has been a shift, political, ideological, ethical, toward something new. The inquiry that remains unanswered is exactly what direction the nation has shifted toward, and how this shift will effect the very uncertain future.

Some feel that the shift is obvious and permanent, symbolized by Obama's earth shattering election. Many engaged in this national conversation, such as journalists E. J. Dionne of The Washington Post, and John Judis of The New Republic. They believe that this year's election results strongly affirm their conjecture that the United States has confidently shifted its political center from the right to the left. In their opinions, "this year's election marked a fundamental "realignment," as the Republican base of older blue-collar and rural whites shrank to a minority," giving way to a new Democratic majority "composed of college educated professionals; working and single women; blacks, Hispanics, and Asians; and people under 30." In their view, Obama could not have been realistically elected in an America identified by a traditional, right centered leaning.

On the other hand, many by viewing the most recent exit poles have come to disagree. The poles show that 22% of registered voters identified themselves as liberals, while 34% claimed a conservative identity. The remaining 44% considered themselves moderates. According to these statistics, the numbers remained virtually the same as those observed during the 2004 election period. These less convinced citizens, including journalists Rod Dreher of Realpolitics.com and Rich Lowry of the Washington Post, feel that the true motivation for the election results was simple dissatisfacion with the republican party and President Bush, not a central political shift.

I tend to agree with journalist Steven M. Wharshawsky, a writer for the American Thinker. His conclusion is that it is simply too soon to tell. Noting the large, unignorable presence of those "wishy washy" unidentified moderates, Wharshawsky insists that there is a large number of Americans who simply do not fit in a cookie cutter partisan identity. They are caught somewhere in the middle. It would seem that apparently we are as well. I guess we will just have to wait a bit longer for that dust to settle...

This week's article discovered in the November 21, 2008 issue of The Week magazine.

Those Ten Commandments Again...

It would seem that yet again that pervasive issue of the presence of religious symbols on government property has reared it's ugly head in another small town. As recorded in a recent Washington Post editorial titled 'The Seven Aphorisms,' the small town of Pleasant Grove City, Utah is being opposed by a minority colic group known as the Summum, who believe the town is unfairly favoring Christianity by choosing to maintian a "10 Commandments" monument while decling their offer to erect a monument commemorating their religious texts. The town's hall has been embellished with numerous historical and culturally relevant monuments for decades. According to the town, these monuments are placed for the specific purpose of commemorating the many historic forces that took part in it's formation and growth.

By description, this town appears to be like most others. It is a town that has been shaped by many contributing organizations and groups. One such institution that has had an immense part in forming this city is the church. This should come at no large surprise. The hand of the church in American community growth has proven common in most other American cities as well. Indeed, one would face a great challenge in seeking to find even one town in their travels across the U.S.A that does not contain at least one Christian church. It is an indisputatble fact that the Church has been among the strongest and most accomplished institutions in fostering positive community growth throughout American history. The town of Pleasant Grove City is undoubtedly no exception.

Yes, when one addresses the issue regarding the presence of religious symbols on public property, there are a host of considerations that need to be made. Some of these include freedom of expression, separation of church and state, religious discrimination and equal representation of social groups. One could discuss and debate these issues for hours on end, but unfortunately I don't have hours (you probably don't either) and I only wish to address a few undisputable facts that I believe play a large role in the understanding of this particular case.

The fact remains that the mainstream Christian church has for many centuries been and continues to remain an influential presence in the town of Pleasant Grove City. The disputed symbolic monument displays the 10 Commandments, which were (and believe it or not largely still are) absolutely foundational principles of American society. Pleasant Grove City's monument attests to this fact, having been erected on the property now for nearly half a century. Religion aside, there is enough empirical information here to prove the continued importance of this monument to the community as a representation of the town's orgin.

Have you ever heard of the Summum? Congratulations if you have, and don't feel bad if you haven't. The Summum is a marginal minority group that has only existed for a few decades in the town of Pleasant Grove City. Outside of the state of Utah, it is nearly unknown. The historical contributions to the town and the nations are inarguably minimal. Why then do they deserve a place on the Town Hall lawn? If every minute special interest group were to be granted representation at their town hall, undoubtedly the lawn itself would soon be invisible under the piles of potential monuments that could be erected. Relevance and practicality should be the deciding factors in such debates of symbolic display on public property. Sorry Summom, but the line needs to be drawn somewhere.

2.89.....and Dropping?

I don't get out much. This inevitable fact faces a writer who currently sits in his room in the middle of the practically invisible little town of Houghton NY. This town is completely enveloped by the rolling, (and in some cases tumbling) hills of the Allegany mountains. In order to reach a location of any cultural or geographical significance at all, I would need to plan on traveling for at least 45 minutes by car. I believe the easiest way to illustrate my innate isolation is to admit that the nearest Wal-Mart is an entire hour away.

While I have come to treasure the immense land barrier that separates myself from civilization, I have found that it does, as with most circumstances, have its disadvantages. One small example of such a disadvantage is the lost ability to follow current gasoline prices as I used to. If I am fortunate enough to leave the fine village of Houghton at all during my week, I will find myself even more fortunate to happen upon a gas station in my travels. Because of this slight hindrance, I am most likely somewhat off in my current gasoline price estimates, but based upon last observation, I have found them to have reached the seemingly glorious level of only $2.89 per gallon. Undoubtedly, if this is close to the current price of gasoline here in Houghton, I can be assured that it has fallen even lower in many other states including my home state of New Jersey. This recent downward trend has come as a tremendous relief to countless Americans facing the busy Christmas season and and an impending cold long winter.

This $2.89 astonishment has caused me to question, what exactly are the causes of this drastic price change? I received at least some insight into this question upon reviewing a recent issue of The Week magazine. The article, curiously titled 'OPEC: Trying to Set a Floor Under Prices,' seemed to view these staggering price drops with a "too much, too fast" outlook. It would seem that experts are very worried about the roller coaster price changes that have occurred within the past year, fearing that they merely further attest to the increasingly declining international economy. The article notes the astounding fact that "oil prices have fallen 57 percent from their July high of $147 per barrel" and that "Americans in August drove 15 billion fewer miles than they did a year earlier. " This "5.6 percent drop is the largest recorded since 1942." These statistics truly reveal that the rapid price decline may in fact warrant more concern than celebration.

As a result of the unhealthy plummet of the of oil value, OPEC, that is the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, has recently taken the precautionary measure of ordering its member nations to cut oil production by 1.5 million barrels a day. The organization feels that a floor needs to be immediately placed beneath the falling prices before they drop to potentially unsalvageable levels.

In my opinion the recent changes we have witnessed at the gas pumps offer only another testimony to the extremely unstable condition of the current economy and its subsequent need for aid and repair. According to the article, OPEC's recent attempts to limit the prices have thus far proven largely unsuccessful. Indeed this economic predicament has swelled beyond the reach of even the largest regulatory institutions. If big business isn't "big enough" to remedy it, then who?

Oh that's right...our president elect has been making many impressive claims throughout his campaign to turn all of our economic hopes and dreams into reality. Well Mr. Obama, I'm not so sure about realizing hopes and dreams, but a little more stability would be nice...

Ready Set VOTE!

Finally...after seemingly endless campaigning, advertising, deliberation, mud slinging, hair splitting, analyzing and reviewing, that blessed day has arrived. So many of us have watched and waited. Some of us have simply chosen to ignore. I am still not fully convinced as to which has made the wisest choice, but nevertheless we will all be facing the same choice on election day.

As closing arguments were fired today, both McCain and Obama sought to distinguish themselves from their opponent as much as possible, drawing heavily on economic policy differences. While Obama was fighting off accusations of socialism and higher taxes, McCain attempted to further detach himself from the economic policies of George Bush. Each candidate wants to be something new, fresh and dependable for the American people. Undoubtedly the American people will have a difficult decision to make, choosing between an experienced, more predictable and uncompromising leader, and a movement motivated, unpredictable, yet enthusiastic one.

Is the United States up for the gamble? Whatever the outcome, one thing is certain. This has become a very historic election, bringing many firsts for the American people. My feeling is that this election has in store quite a few more firsts for the nation.

Article Found At: http://www.theweek.com/article/index/90357/3/McCain_Obama_Closing_arguments

The Independent Voter

It appears to many disgusted Americans that this political year has proven to illustrate just how polarized the nation's two leading political parties have become. The democratic and republican parties have uncompromisingly sought to define their respective camps as essentially being the antonym of the other. Each has made it their highest priority to place as much space as possible between itself and the opposing party for the purpose of providing voters with clearly labeled leadership options. They would probably prefer that those two options be labeled something like good and evil, though each would undoubtedly differ in their opinion of which is which. Somehow in their efforts to delineate their differences, the democratic and republican parties may have created too great of a chasm between themselves—a chasm that more and more American voters seem to be falling into.

Surprisingly, the Wall Street Journal reported this week that the growing new mainstream in American voters is now, by the numbers, the independent voter. According to an column by John P. Avlon titled "What Independent Voters Want," independents make up about 40% of the electorate in the United States and represent a political majority in six states already. These new numbers represent a resoundingly large and influential group of voters that just can't seem to find a home in either end of the American political spectrum. These voters may be able to accept viewpoints on specific issues from each party, but are unable to find enough common ground allowing them to identify with that party. These branded independent voters find themselves stuck in the middle of two American extremes.

I feel that it is this new emerging conglomerate that will become the essential deciding factor in the upcoming November elections. It has already been reported that a decisive number of these independent voters occupy several swing states including Pennsylvania, Florida, and Ohio. I agree strongly with Avlon in his conclusion that "The next president can unite the country even in difficult times if he understands this truth: Americans are not deeply divided—our political parties are—and the independent voter is a direct reaction to this disconnect." Indeed it is the overly polarized parties that are giving a national allusion of disunity and unrest. It is my feeling that the growing independent constituency is largely unimpressed with the edgy and quarrelsome partisan politics that have grown out of the past few presidential election campaigns. Americans are united—under the assertion that political parties need reform.

This weeks article can be found at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122445963016248615.html

The Way of all Empires

As most historians would agree, the story of humanity can in many instances be described as the Greeks thought of it; cyclical and repetitive. Of course many can hearken back to the cliche old phrase, "History repeats itself," perhaps recalling a history teacher or other mentor who may have used it. Indeed this phrase undoubtedly holds historical weight. One need not search very far in the history of any group of people before discovering clearly repetitive trends and tendencies. The Middle East is no exception to this concept. To the contrary, it may in fact act as an indefinite witness to it.

In reading among this week's most discussed foreign newspaper columns, I discovered a rather intriguing and somewhat daunting piece by the columnist Anwar Kemal of the Arab News. The title, "How to Fix the U.S. Financial Crisis," at first gave the impression of a small pleasant suggestion. As I read, I found it to be slightly more weighty than a mere suggestion. The article immediately began by referring to the concept of a cyclical history, bluntly stating that "The U.S. is going the way of all empires." Kemal continued by describing his suppositions that the United States has financially over-extended itself, to the point of endangering it's leadership role on the world stage. Drawing from the historical well, he cited two former empires of the recent past, as examples for his conjecture that economic meltdown brings political meltdown. The 20th century empires of Britain and the Soviet Union both illustrated Kemal's belief that economic overreaching, particularly due to extraneous war efforts, can easily hurt the international stability and political standing of even the most influential nations.

In light of recent years, I would be inclined to agree with Kemal on many points. Undoubtedly, the United States, at least at the moment, seems to be fitting the mold for the average declining empire. It fits nearly the entire historical description: economic instability, costly, controversial, and largely unproductive wars, crumbling ethical foundation, and growing international unpopularity. However, Americans should not abandon hope in their nation so soon. Even Kemal noted in his largely critical column that "There's still time for the USA to salvage some of its international standing and influence." Yet, the nation needs to see change before this can happen. It will have to soon extricate its self from those money spending wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and return to a less aggressive and more conservative national budget. It is my personal opinion that the United States is in need of some serious self evaluation. A reversion needs to be made back to the traditional American identity. This identity is rooted in the tried and true values of financial discipline, investment in knowledge, and hard work. It is my sincere hope that our next president, whomever he may be, will make it a national priority to bring the United States back to that humbling position of cold hard re-evaluation.

This Week's Article taken from: http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7&section=0&article=115150&d=6&m=10&y=2008

Is the Presidential Race Really Worth all this Attention?

After yet another week of presidential combat and the dramatic closure of debate number two, it seems that the media, and consequently the American public are finally beginning to draw conclusions as to winners and losers. Headlines all over the country proclaim that Obama is pulling ahead in the race. Yes, in reality this new development is only a small one, and the changes in public opinion are minimal, just a few percentage points. The massive amount of attention that the presidential race receives from both the media and the public is simply unprecedented by any other political event or occurrance. In reality, the office of the president is only one piece of the greater governmental system framed by the U.S. Constitution. It is just one branch on the massive tree that is American government. In light of these facts, is it really so crucial that the citizens of America place this race under such uncalled for magnification? Is it truly necessary that we pay attention to every percentage point change from the latest straw poll?

I discovered this week a transcript taken from a recent broadcast of the popular television show, 'Hannity and Colmes,' which sought to discuss this very issue. This past year, a brand new book, titled "The Failure Factory" has been published with the purpose of realistically questioning the function of the office of the president of the United States in current times. The author Bill Gertz makes it the goal of his book to illustrate how "unelected bureaucrats are the true power players in Washington." Providing much historical evidence as well as current examples, Gertz ventures to expose the evolution of the presidential office to a state of unprecedented corruption. He feels that the president has become nothing more than a complacent figurehead who is completely subject to the wills of the bureaucrats. It is a point that I indeed can see as holding weight, especially in light of the seemingly petty banter that occupies a large percentage of the public conversation about this current race.

This week's document discovered at: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,436842,00.html