It’s a topsy-turvy political scene these days. On the Democrat side, an aging self-proclaimed Democratic socialist, who thinks it’s just fine to turn the United States into Denmark (his words) and proposes a $20,000,000,000,000 (that’s twenty trillion dollars) tax hike, is within striking distance of dethroning a candidate who is under the cloud of a potential federal indictment. The current Vice-President is sitting the election out and there’s no one else waiting in the wings.
On the Republican side, the field has been narrowed from 17 to 6 amid accusations, threats of law suits, name-calling, and verbal food fighting. One commentator said that the last debate was more like a professional wrestling match than a political debate.
The leading contender is neither a senator nor a governor but a liberal/conservative/moderate (depending on which video tapes are viewed) businessman/celebrity/billionaire who can apparently say anything he likes, however offensive and volatile, and still keep in the fold some 35 percent of likely primary voters.
The nation has fallen down the political rabbit hole and Wonderland is producing some bizarre outcomes. Savvy politicians and self-assured pundits are baffled and most are now admitting it. People who prepared all their political lives to be President are being ignored or cast aside while people who probably never entertained such a lofty thought may actually be the next leader of the most powerful nation on the planet.
Enter into this strange landscape the untimely demise of the most conservative justice on the Supreme Court. Already conspiracy theorists are seeing evil intentions at work while Democrats and Republicans have drawn lines in the sand about who and how and when a nominee will be brought forth and political fights over the vacant office are assured for months to come.
One longs for the olden days when the evening news, including the political news, would be summed up in a half-hour news cast at the end of the day. Now, with 24/7 news networks of every political stripe, the clamor of the campaign is constant, unrelenting, and deafening. But those happy and blissful days are gone forever.
It is interesting that both the Republican frontrunner and the Democratic would-be usurper, in any other time in the history of the country, wouldn’t be given a second glance. What it says about the nation and about the voters is … disturbing.
Every politician is fond of stating that, “This election really matters,” or “This is an historic election,” or “This is the most important election in modern times.” This time, the election is potentially disastrous for what may, in the future, be remembered as the greatest nation that once was.
Certainly the population seems to be rejecting the status quo. Angry voters, who have every right to be angry with their elected representatives, and who feel powerless and betrayed by people who promised the moon and delivered little, are throwing open the windows and screaming into the night, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!” But screaming into the night is a futile gesture and it doesn’t help for very long.
The average American carries with him or her a dissatisfaction with the way things are that is palpable. And he or she is expressing that outrage in the only avenue open to the average person—by voting.
This time, enough people are upset with both parties to make a difference. A significant portion think that anybody will be better than the Old Guard. Hence, the scene currently being played out before our eyes.
People think it can’t possibly be worse. But it can. It can get much, much worse.
[David Epps is the pastor of the Cathedral of Christ the King, Sharpsburg, GA (www.ctkcec.org). He is the bishop of the Mid-South Diocese which consists of Georgia and Tennessee (www.midsouthdiocese.org) and the Associate Endorser for the Department of the Armed Forces, U. S. Military Chaplains, ICCEC. He may contacted at frepps@ctkcec.org.]
