O-mama - Opinionated Moms

Primaries are BORING, right? Voter turnout is dismal in the United States, particularly in mid-term and primary elections. No one cares…we go about our day, doing our thing and then we wonder how so-n-so got in office.  Hmmm…so, I guess the candidates feel like they need to make it really exciting to get our attention!  Why do the vast majority of American citizens fail to see their right to vote as both a privilege and responsibility?  Millions of people throughout the rest of the world envy our system, one in which the citizens have the right to elect representatives within a constitutionally sound Democracy. The human sacrifice that others risk around the world to win these rights should remind us that our system is unique, and something worth safeguarding.

People say that they do not vote for several reasons: no time, not enough research on the issues, or that their single vote does not really matter in the large scheme of things.  Even more common is the sentiment that people are frustrated with the options on the ballot.  They are asked to choose the better of two equally unimpressive candidates.  Why are good candidates so hard to come by these days?  Maybe because the political discourse has withered into a game of tug-of-war and name-calling. In the case of the primaries that we are seeing today, it is hard to blame them.   It’s just like playground politics. “He did this….she did that….that’s not fair…that’s not true!”  Mamas…..sound familiar?  Of course it does.  Our kids interact on this same immature level of banter.  The only difference is they have an O-MAMA to make sure they play fair, take turns and use their big boy voices.  Our kids are not responsible for solving the huge problems of the day.  Our politicians are!

Environmental disaster, terror, wars, education, healthcare, immigration, recession are just some of what is at stake here.  It is more significant that we fix this stuff than who gets a turn on the swing or the biggest scoop of ice cream.  Instead of hearing intelligent debate on these very important issues, we find candidates slinging sex scandal gossip, racial slurs and references to bartering chickens for healthcare.  Good grief?!@#$!

South Carolina’s gubernatorial race has become highly publicized under a shadow of infidelity, an even more charged accusation considering the candidate is a woman, Nikki Haley.  Said to make former Republican Governor Mark Sanford’s admitted affair with an Argentine woman look tame, one can assume that voters know more about Haley’s sex life than her stance on important issues of the day. 

The slugfest is on in Nevada for the rights to take on Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in November.  But in the battle to come out on top, frontrunner Lowden, appears to have suffered from a much-publicized gaffe when she suggested at a town-hall meeting in rural Nevada that people could barter for medical care, recalling that some even traded chickens for doctors' services in the old days. The comments fueled sarcasm and criticism of Lowden and her campaign. 

Arkansas is turning party politics on its head. Democratic Senator Blanche Lincoln is fighting to stay on the ballot come November to maintain her own senate seat.   That’s right; her opponent, Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, is coming at her from inside the Democratic Party.  Lincoln attributes this to an under-estimated anti- Washington mood, and is struggling to convince people that “incumbent” is not a dirty word. This is a tough sell at a time in which she may become the third sitting Democratic lawmaker this year defeated by a fellow Democrat in a primary battle.  So much for party politics!  

Not to mention California.  From the looks of the California campaign, only the mega-rich can run.  In the large state with pricey television markets, campaigning can be expensive. But that doesn't seem to be a problem for wealthy candidates Meg Whitman, former eBay CEO, and self- made millionaire Steve Poizner who have injected around $70 and $25 million respectively.   The Republican winner will face off in the general election against state Attorney General Jerry Brown, a former two-term governor himself.  Not to mention, the winner will succeed former actor and current Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (no cash shortfall there either).

So, yes, it is easy to see why people may be turned off by politics.  But, we can’t give up now.  Not today.  Not in the face of all the enormous challenges that we are burdened with.  Not for ourselves, and not for our children.  Come on Mamas; it’s time to make a difference.  It’s time to show our kids that we care about the issues that face our generation, and those to come. It’s time to remind our kids of the incredible Democracy that we are all so blessed to be part of…that we get the government we deserve because every vote counts! Who knows…maybe one of ours will be a candidate one day. Just remember…change starts at home…and it starts today!  VOTE.