What Happens in November Matters

The following piece is an exclusive from Brian Knowles, who, although I've never met, I consider to be a friend. Actually he's married to the mother of one of my very best friends from high school. I happened to mention to my friend earlier this week to convey a message to Brian and that I would love to have him do a piece for my blog if it were only worthy (my blog, that is!). Well, this blog isn't yet worthy of his writing prowess, but he sent me the following piece this afternoon to do with as I wish; and I couldn't be more pleased to post it in toto. He titled it, What Happens in November Matters. Read and learn:

From a sensible point of view, it doesn’t matter whether an idea emanates from the left or right side of the political spectrum. What does matter is: Is it a good idea? Did it work? What kind of results did it produce? Was it cost effective? Did it solve a problem, or make it worse? Ideas do have consequences, and we need to keep track of them.

Let’s get another thing straight: It doesn’t matter what any politician says. Politician’s words are as cheap as human life in Iraq. Politicians will promise you the moon with chocolate coating on it if you’ll give them your vote. Once in power, they have a way of becoming entrenched, and forgetting all about what they said to get elected. If a politician doesn’t do what he said he’d do, he should be thrown out of office. Problem is, by the time he or she is up for reelection, nobody remembers his or her campaign promises. Politicians count on that.

Politicians have a way of fogging up the atmosphere with a combination of hot air and methane. They are not there to solve problems – they are there to promise to solve problems. Not long ago, I heard a well-known Democrat say, “After all, in politics its perception that counts.” Politicians work hard at creating the perception that they’re good for the country, even when they’re not. They seek as much “face time” on television as possible. As a given politician reaches reelection time, review his promises, check his track record, and decide, on that basis, whether he’s worth putting back in office. Simple, right? Problem is, almost nobody does it.

People often vote for people they know nothing about. They may like the candidate’s face, or his name, or his ethnicity. Sometimes it’s just a matter of being better known than his competitors. We vote for familiar names. None of these are valid reasons for voting for someone.

The kind of people we put in office, or remove from office in November, will go a long way to determining the future course of this country, and of our states. Much is at stake. Those of us who are privileged to vote ought to take our vote seriously. We need to do our homework. Keep tabs on your politician’s track records. What did they vote for, what did they vote against? Forget what they have said; it means nothing.

Charles Peters put it this way: “In Washington bureaucrats confer, the president proclaims, and Congress legislates, but the effect on reality is negligible if evident at all. The nation’s problems don’t disappear, and all the activity that is supposedly dedicated to their solution turns out to be make-believe” (How Washington Really Works by Charles Peters, p. 3).

Vote for politicians who have made a concrete, positive effect on reality. Return to office those candidates who did what they said they’d do the first time they were elected. Make elected office a meritocracy, not a cash cow for career politicians.
Don’t allow the ideologically-driven Press and Media influence your voting decision. Ferret out the verifiable facts, and only the facts. Forget contrived perceptions; focus on reality.

Ask hard questions like: who will make the country safer for its citizens, and who will not? Who will seal the borders, and who will just talk about sealing the borders without actually doing it? Who will fight to win against terrorism, and who will merely do a lot of politically correct posturing? Who will get rid of the odious, immoral death tax (estate tax) and who will vote to keep it? Who will get out-of-control spending under control, and who will not?

Who will put justices on Supreme Court who take the Constitution seriously, and who will nominate those who see it as a “living document” subject to creative interpretation based on international considerations?

Which politicians have the guts to take on organized crime, drugs, vice, identity theft, elder abuse, serious prison reform, federal sentencing guidelines and other crucial issues?

Who will best respond to the threats of natural disasters and terrorism? We the people must demand results, not a superfluity of hot air. I know some of these problems seem intractable. Yet all have solutions if politicians have the political will to seek and implement them. What would you do if you had to face the nightmarish issues of Social Security and Medicare payments in the face of an aging population? Demographic trends alone are enough to give any politician a mental hernia.

What kind of man, or woman (?), do you think could best take on the world’s monsters and barbarians? Who could face down an Ahmadinejad, Chavez, or a Kim Jong Il?

Who is willing to lead the drive to eliminate America’s dependence upon foreign oil?
This is a time in American history when we need giants in Washington, not hard-drinking, red-faced, leftist windbags who offer no answers -- only vicious attacks on our President. We need people of courage, vision and wisdom. The very existence of this grand and glorious nation hangs in the balance. Your vote in November and in two years from now means more than ever. Use it wisely.

- Brian Knowles

I can't thank you enough, Brian! I hope this won't be your last post here. Thanks so much.