TEAM OF HORSES OR TUG OF WAR?

I think a fair analogy to make about Bi-partisanship and Partisanship would be to imagine a team of horses. You can imagine the Liberal/Progressive/Democratic horses on the left side of the team and the Conservative/Republican horses on the right side of the team. Let’s imagine them pulling a stagecoach like I used to watch in old TV westerns. That would be Bi-partisanship. Yes, we have different points of view but we are pulling in the same direction for the good of the stagecoach. We work together for a common destination, each member putting in effort.

Now picture a group summer picnic with its potato salads, chips, burgers and dogs and for entertainment, a tug of war game. After everyone has had a fill of the salad, grilled burgers or hot dogs, the game begins. In this type of game it becomes about winning. The goal is to defeat your opponent, or the other “team” in this case of tug of war. I can picture the teams struggling with all their might, straining on the rope to pull the other team to their side and thereby win the match. They sometimes make it interesting by putting a mud hole to pull the opponent into.

Which type of game do you want our Congress to play? I want the team of horses, pulling our country toward a goal of prosperity for all. Obama has been fulfilling a campaign promise to try and make Washington more functional, to make a cabinet of both Republicans and Democrats. He has been attempting to do that and at present has two Republicans there. He has reached out his hand of cooperation. He has traveled to the Congress to meet with Republicans and get their ideas. He invited conservative pundits to the White House for drinks to get their views and impress upon them the importance to this country of Bi-partisanship and with what result?

That hand of friendship and Bi-partisanship has been slapped, ignored, ridiculed and even insulted by those “tug of war” Republicans. Still, Obama has not given up. I believe he will continue with his extended hand diplomacy, but perhaps with a bit more discretion. What will be the result of the continued Republican stubbornness?

We the People should be watching this interplay very closely. Our future and the future of this country are at stake. If Republicans continue their lock-step opposition to efforts at making this country sound, they will continue to loose elections. If We the People don’t pay attention, they may win this Tug-of-War! And then what will happen to our nation?

I can see that symbolic team of horses now; the horses on the right keep pulling right to lead the team. The horses on the left keep countering the pull and pulling forward. The left horses only recently became successful because there are now more of them. But it hasn’t changed the tactics of the horses on the right. Those horses keep playing tug of war, even when it is in their benefit to pull as a team.

Democrats aren’t innocent in this game. Democrats, I believe, have been trying to get Bi-partisanship but have been conditioned into a tug of war by Republicans. I hope We the People are watching this and vote accordingly. We need a team in Congress expressing valid yet different points of view. We don’t need to continue this Tug-of-War Politics that has been happening for the last 16 years.

That's As I See It . . .