It was at least a little comforting to see how the limited elections worked out last week. You might call it a slight silver lining in the very dark cloud presently hanging over America.  We can only hope to see the same thing on a much larger scale a year from now.

But, as far as I am concerned both parties have a lot to be blamed for these times.  They have learned from each other that total obstruction pays dividends in the “next” election. It would go a long way toward solving many of our current problems if the people finally get disgusted with the current office holders and vote them out.  Is this current gridlock mode really the answer to making the government once again accountable to the people? Of course the answer is a big NO.

I think it’s time to make some wholesale changes to our electoral processes. Both parties seem to have lost their founding principles but still have their own way of trying to keep their base in line. Here is a quote about that:

By and large, the two parties have very different performance routines they employ to build and sustain their voting coalitions. The GOP will tell you that the Democrats are a bunch of godless socialists who want to quash all individual initiative. Democrats will assure you that the GOP is a party of oligarchic theocrats who want to give all your money to the rich and make you go to church….

Source: Learn American History to Make Government Accountable | National Review

We need to send an unequivocal message and the way to do that is to not give our vote to either party until they put their house in order. It’s time for more of us to vote for the independent candidate. Nothing will change until we give the current two parties a message that they cannot ignore.

Even voting independent in the short term has an almost immediate effect. If we just had a half dozen senators who were not beholden to either party they could drive an agenda for the common good since they would control who gets the majority vote.  Now if only there are enough forward looking voters out there to do their part.  I realize that my State of Indiana is VERY red so I don’t hold out much hope for an independent running here but I do plan on financially supporting independent candidates wherever I can find them next year.

Let’s not throw in the towel simply because times are difficult right now. Instead let’s work to change things. Yes, there will always be those narrow minded voters who are driven by fear and hate but we the majority can keep them on the sidelines if only we have the will.