These issues are so divisive, so volatile, that they have ruined many candidates’ chances for ever getting elected. 

 

Case in point: Q: Mr. Ryan, how do you feel about abortion?  A: As a Christian conservative I value all life and I believe that abortion should be very limited.

Correct Answer: My personal values and beliefs on this issue are not germane to the conversation. If elected, I will work hard to get these types of decisions pushed back to the state where they belong, so the people in each state can decide by the democratic process how they feel these issues should be handled.

 

His answer is of course paraphrased but you can see the difference.  The correct answer would have garnered him more votes as he recognized the limits of government and even though the Christian conservative comment would have gained him some votes; he most likely already had those votes in the red states and lost votes in the blue states where they needed them.  The real gotcha part of the question was diverted in the correct answer and instead of it being a negative as the “reporter” intended, it would have been neutered at the least and a positive at best.

 

The rhetoric that these issues generate alone, cloud the real issues of the day like the economy and or the events in the Middle East.  These two issues take the forefront on the news and the campaign trial, instead of the issues that really matter.  Gun control, dominates the nightly news rather than the media dealing with the real issues of the day. 

 

The Middle East is on fire, hundreds of thousand are killed and we talk about creating a law that has no chance of working in this country, ever!  They would have to shred the constitution for it to have a chance; and Uncle Joe touting his shotgun rhetoric would have to keep mute; as he gives the gun lobbyist more “ammo,” every time he speaks on the subject. 

 

The simple facts are that there is not a “one size fits all solution” for an entire country on either of these two issues.  On top of this if you bother to do any research, you will find places like Chicago who have some of the toughest gun laws, also enjoy some of the highest murder rates or crime rates committed with guns, anywhere in the country. 

 

It is my contention that these issues are played up intentionally and strategically when there are other issues that are showing up on the radar that the administration wants to re-focus the public’s attention away from. Benghazi was one such issue, and Fast and Furious another; just to name two.  I would bet that in the industry; issues like this have names, much like “puff piece,” which this would not be, or some such other type of piece like a “Houdini.”

 

 

The state should be the one to deal with these issues although I bet that they are happy that they don’t have to.    There is a reason that we have red and blue states.  The majority of the people in the “highly populated” areas of those states are fairly like minded for one reason or another.  These areas attract more people who are also of similar ilk.  That is perfectly ok as one should be allowed to vote with their feet.

 

If Colorado wants to legalize pot (which they did) and you are of the belief that it should be legal, you may be interested in moving there.  If Texans think that wearing a gun should be synonymous with wearing clothes, you may want to live there (if you’re a good guy) or stay the hell away if you are prone to picking fights or doing stupid things. “An armed society is a polite society.”

 

Much like football, the quarterback fakes the throw and our attention “and the opposing teams attention” is momentarily taken off the real ball, and then the handoff happens.  Politics or those who practice it, work the same way.  The people that we hire, that should be watching out for us are all up there playing quarterback with trillions of tax payer’s dollars.

 

Of course if gun control and abortion are not enough to divert your complete attention; than the race card, the gay card, and the class warfare card and my personal all time favorite, some imagined war on women come into play.  Never have I seen the “war on babies” card played, which it should be.

 

Keep your eyes on the ball.  This is not an R or a D thing, it is a people thing, and those inside the beltway should be held not only to higher standards, but they should be held accountable; accountable not to the people who gambled millions of dollars on their reelection bid; but to us, the tax payer.  When any of these cards are played, keep looking for what they are hiding.  Start looking at other media rather than the main stream media for the answers.  If you are a huge Fox news fan, make sure that you watch CNN as well. The reverse is true if you are a Chris Mathews Fan.  I personally read news from all over the globe, as they are watching us, and there is a good chance that their dog in the fight is not that of the current administrations.  The more that any of the above cards are dominating the news, or trending, the more I look elsewhere, to see what is happening.

 

To borrow a phrase from the X-Files, “the truth is out there,” seek and ye shall find.  “The truth has no Agenda.”

 

-Best to you and those that you care about!