People Don't Elect Presidents

It has finally sunk in. After watching "Recount" last night with Kevin Spacey, I have come to a conclusion I had realized for many years since the Florida debacle, that indeed people do not elect Presidents in America, political machines do. And so another myth shot down, just as I along with so many others after watching Obama's speech at the Democratic Convention were buoyed by the young freshman senator. There were more "dirty tricks" in that movie last night than through the entire presidency of Richard Nixon.

But alas since the front runners for the Democratic nomination began to empty their pockets to the equivalent of most people's lifetime of earnings, I began to get this sickening feeling that it was a horse race being run not on the basis of who would make the best President but who can raise enough money to become the media favourite.

And now here we are at the post again, and this time it's a two horse race. Here is the bet on favourite according to some political race pundits, Obama. Why because he has $400 million dollars and McCain has a mere $200 million. Some suggested that in the last days of Hillary, she was offered $22 milllion by Obama's team to pay off some of her political debts.

There were more foreclosures in America this year than at any other time in American history. The working poor in America are at an all time high. 30 million Americans make no more than $5.15 an hour. Gas is closing in on $5 a gallon. The war in Iraq has now killed more American soldiers than VietNam and George W. wants another $ 70 billion to stay the course. Is it no wonder that American television networks have turned to reality t.v. to escape the sheer insanity going on in supposedly the world's most progressive and democratic country.

So you tell me, is the American President elected or annointed by the 34,750 lobbyists in Washington, DC, the major corporate players who have the power and money to call the shots, and who conceivably make up 90% of the $400 million dollars needed to win. Or is it Joe Citizen in Newark New Jersey making $5.15 at the 7 Eleven who can't even own a house let alone buy one to foreclose. Does his vote count, does his $20 basic membership contribution count, or is it just smoke and mirrors when Obama and McCain get up in front of an audience and say "We believe in change, we believe in every American's right to the American dream, we believe in the power of the people. And just to hedge their bet, if you notice they end with a little help from above; " And May God Bless America".

The Dalai Lama in his book "How to See Yourself as You Really Are" says; "In the past attempts have been made to create more just and equal societies. Institutions have been established with noble charters to combat antisocial forces. Unfortunately, such efforts have been undermined by selfishness and greed. Today we bear witness to the way ethics and noble principles are obscured by self-interest in the political sphere. Politics devoid of ethics does not further human welfare, and life without morality reduces humans to the level of beasts. This leads some of us to refrain from politics altogether, but politics is not axiomatically dirty. Rather, the misguided instruments of our political culture have distorted our high ideals and noble aspirations".