November Elections

Typically, I vote Republican except when I voted for Chuck Robb over Marshall Coleman in the early 80's.
I was a true Reaganite and was proud to have him as our President.  Though I disliked President Clinton, he was a consummate politician and had put the country on the road to fiscal discipline.  He squandered his 2nd term.

In the 80's, the Democrats' alternative to "Reaganomics" was its failure.  In the 90's, the Republicans' response to Clinton initiatives was to stop or stall their passage.  But, there was the "Contract with America". Today, the current Republican leadership does not seem to have a plan other than to regain control of Congress.  That could foster in yet another period of gridlock.

So, as we approach an important mid-term election, the uncertainty that it is creating and the potential gridlock the results could engender has certainly fostered an atmosphere of drift, uncertainty, and even fear.  Our nation is years away from recovering from the "Great Recession", yet our politicians are focused exclusively on either holding the majority in Congress or regaining the majority.

I fear that regardless of what happens, we'll see more polarization and politics as usual to the detriment of our citizens and a growing economy.  There are, however, a glimmers of hope in the horizon.  There seems to be an emergence of younger Republican governors and leaders who understand the importance of fiscal responsibility and are acting accordingly.  Let's hope they and others answer the clarion call to get our country back on the right fiscal road lest we see a complete collapse in our economy due to unsustainable debt.