Political Accountablility

In the past it was much easier to hold your local political leaders accountable for their actions, than to be properly informed about national policies and political leaders motivations. For example, the local news paper might be a persons only news source for federal policy changes. Where as, your great grandfather might have rode to town for a meeting with the Mayor concerning city ordinances or tax changes. At that meeting he would have gotten many viewpoints from the townspeople at that meeting and he would have been able to make a better informed decision about his personal stance on an issue. So, back then I would have been very much in favor of states rights vs. large federal government.

I suppose that I should mention that this type of political involvement is seldom seen today. While The Tennessean still reports on national debates and local controversy, we now have an overwhelming number of "news" sources, as well as "opinion" sources. Our national leaders are under a much larger microscope than our local aldermen and Mayors. I wonder how many people know the name of the Mayor of Portland and White House (Ken Wilber and John Decker respectively). BTW, I had to look it up. Do you think that there character has been put through the same rigorous testing that President Obama's has? Which position is under the highest scrutiny from news and opinion organizations?

My point is this: In the information age; with Twitter, Blogging, 14,000 cable news channels, and everyone with there opinions, let us all make sure that we get the facts before muddying the water. Don't spread rumors just because you heard it on Glenn Beck. Let us all separate fact from fiction the best that we can. And Also, know that everyone that can sell an advertisement is watching our federal government (not our local government), looking for a skeleton to make a story out of. I'm not saying to put up your blinders, I'm just saying consider the source. If you get your news from John Stuart, Steven Colbert, Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, or anyone else trying to make a buck; you might want to reconsider the "Facts" that you are hearing.

I have no issue with idealogical differences, it's how democracy works. If the American people didn't vote in a Democratic President and a super majority congress then health care reform would not have passed. It is a fact that the American people wanted this law, whether it is a good idea or not. The same way that they voted in a Republican President and Congress a few years ago, meaning that they wanted a war in Iraq and Afghanistan (no matter what the fiscal cost). I have an issue with some Americans that I see who are blindly following their television leadership, and being manipulated to anger and in some cases bigotry/racism - when in fact, they (most likely) don't even know which political party there Mayor is a part of.