Americans want change
The elections of 2008 in reflection suggest we Americans want a change in our governments. This applies to the federal level, the state levels, and the more local county, city, and school board levels. This idea suggests many voters are simply not happy with those they previously voted in. As the Bob Dylan song sang in the 1960’s, “The Times They are a Changing”. It sure looks like we Americans are changing, too.
Now we Americans mostly vote to benefit ourselves. What’s new? And there is also an intrinsic streak to also help our fellow Americans in need. Mostly, this means warmth and food, and opportunity for those who want to work. Of course, underlying all this is those who want to help and pay and are also warm and fed. We all love our families, after all, and they need to be warm and fed, also. And most can do it, and also vote. So perhaps there are limits to help, depending on where one lives. Yes, perhaps America is not one country, but still a united states of different states, still called the USA.
Culturally, we in the USA in the past 100 years have done a good job promoting all citizens to a more comfortable way of life. As an example, we have flush toilets with splinter free toilet paper, and electricity to keep our refrigerators and freezers going. Yep, we common citizens are living like kings and queens in our older times. We should be proud, and happy. And most are.
Now a common political argument is what powers all this energy and money that pays for all this good American stuff. In the old days, most politicians promoted businesses in their way. The idea then was to help the generators of wealth, as bad as they might be. We voted in our own politicians that did what they thought was best. Now the idea is that we fellow Americans and generators of wealth are “evil” and wrong. The assumption is that the go-getters of business will work around all this, and they probably will.
Is this the change we want? Only we voters can decide. And again, our votes are as just as local as federal.