Futility and Ineptness in the 2014 Midterms

The 2014 Midterm Election shows the futility and ineptness of American politics

The 2014 Midterms are upon us, with a huge degree of ineptness. Much of these elections are focused on whether or not the Democrats will hold the Senate, or if the Republicans pull off another 2010 style Congressional sweep. While most media coverage is reporting what it normally does during election cycles, the issue that makes this cycle so strange to me is that (in overall terms) this election cycle will not really determine much for our nation’s political sanity.

It must be admitted that, once again, the Democrats are uninterested in running truly progressive campaigns. No surprise. Also, once again, the Republicans are running as far right as they can. Also, no surprise. What does surprise me though, is that the very nature of this election cycle is faux. Allow an explanation.

Obama, once again, has left the individual Democrats to form their own messages rather than form a cohesive political base. This, of course, has created the tactical confusion of Democratic campaigns. Republicans for the most part, run on singular issues, Democrats often splinter. While excuses are given, the effect is always the same. Democrats, especially progressive ones, tend to lose ground

Take a look at Alison Grimes running for Senate in Kentucky. She makes an entire ad talking about her “not being like Obama,” but at the same time will want Obama’s backing on winning the Senate. The Democrats are the embodiment of ineptness. They seem like a normal political party, but reality clearly shows the weird and indecisive force that are today’s Democrats.

Democratic ineptness also applies to the base of voters the Democrats rely on and tactics for getting the vote out. While the traditional bombardment of TV airwaves with campaign commercials is the hallmark of the American election season, it is also the voter drive tactics that build up the nasty vibes of our humble “democracy.”

While the Republican base is generally homogeneous in the issues that will rally a vote, Democrats tend to be splintered in midterm elections. Obama isn’t on the ballot, therefore his army of loyal voters are somewhat broken as to whether they should feel any passion for voting in 2014.

The Democratic base of voters tend to be the least fired up for Midterms, while Republicans are charging forward. Even if there was a single, reliable base for the Democrats they are stuck with politicians who are very unreliable in their personal positions. Whatever charisma Obama used to win his elections is not carrying over to Democrats in 2014. To make matters worse, Obama’s approval rating is dropping. In short, a big deal is being made of an election that will set no defining tone. I don’t even think this year will set the stage for 2016.

Much has been said of the intense drives to get out the vote. Emails blast me day in and day out urging me to vote. “It’s important.” “You’ll regret not answering this email.” “Why haven’t you Donated to the DCC yet?”

All of this fuss, for an election that will serve more as a circus than a marker for politics to come. Obama’s presidency is all but done at this point. Obama had a great chance to fully realize what he promised in 2008, but his legacy will be broken into complicated halves. Half marked accomplishments, and half Republican appeasements that went nowhere. One thing is clear, Obama did not change the fundamental ills of America. He didn’t even get the ball rolling.

Instead we are now left with a self-aggrandizing election which will more than likely lead to no positive results, or clues as to how 2016 is looking. We see a base that doesn’t care, politicians without a message, and a self-assured sense that voting will make a difference here. I know I will get a lot of hate, but 2014 is a vote I shall not miss abstaining.

the 2014 Midterms is a reflection of America’s flawed idea of a societal democracy. Whether we can even call America’s system democratic is very much up for grabs. It is a Republic of the self-assured. The election is merely a symptom of the need to make the unimportant seem very important.

What it signals is the state of the American social mind. Uncertain, splintered, fearful perhaps. Americans are afraid to strike up a conversation on belief due to the strange ineptness of our politics. Everyone hates Congress, yet no one knows why. Everyone merely hates half of Congress, while fooling themselves into believing the other half has it right. As much as I want to see a difference in D.C. and its factional lines, I see only two sides to the same coin that is continually flipped in the air. No one knows where it will land.

So we elect more Democrats. To do what? We elect them, promising to fight the right. What happens? Half the time they vote for what they claimed they opposed, and they follow Obama’s failed centrist attitudes down the very gutter his approval rating is sliding. I always cite back to Noam Chomsky who summed up America’s politics into one party: the Business Party, which is mired with strange and inept factions.

Ineptness is in every ounce of our money bleeding election cycles. As we are assured of the importance of voting, everything about this election cycle screams to me as merely a reason to put ads on TV or put on a needless political circus act to be fought on Sunday morning talk-shows. If this is what the Founders had in mind when thinking up American Democracy, they may have well switched to an absolute tyranny.

If 2016 shall be a reflection of moods in 2014, then no wonder Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee in waiting: Strange, uncertain, fractured, but all seemingly normal.

God Bless America.