"....Because We Like You..."

Phew! Not sure about your neighborhood but here in The Land of Steady Habits we had ourselves a time this past Tuesday as registered Republicans and Democrats chose their respective parties' candidates for office, to include Governator and Senator as well as Comptroller, Attorney General and Secretary of State, and over one hundred state legislature, upper and lower house, seats. The voter turnout was similar to the torrent we see had we offered to sock people in the nose for only a dollar. Those of us who could vote and did vote, spent a great deal of time at Connecticut polling places hoping to see another voter show up. For anyone waiting for Pheidippides, he's running, umm, late.

Speaking of those who could vote, there are more unaffiliated voter registrations than either Republican or Democrat here. NONE of those voters were allowed to cast a ballot, but will be governed by whomever we all select in November. Smells sort of funny, doesn't it? Well, that probably means you have the wrong nose as the inequity of all of that mattered not a jot to anyone currently in power who intends to stay in power. In answer to the question 'who rules?!?' the answer, they do. As a very cynical person in my mirror once told me, 'rules are for people who don't know better.'

I learned two things after the dust had settled. State political conventions are either stupid or unnecessary since almost anyone NOT nominated for an office at one of them, can (and will) force a statewide primary that everybody's taxes must pay for. My other insight, this November I can say with absolute certainty that our next Governor's last name will end with the 25th letter of the alphabet. Malloy or Foley. You can take that prediction to the bank or my name isn't KennY (Alle guten dingen sind drei).

We've had better times around here, and I fear the same is true for you. The 'doing things the way we always have and hoping THIS time the results will differ' style of leadership is as politically bankrupt as most of our states are economically. And between now and November, brace yourself for probably more negative mailed-to-your-house-and-broadcast-into-your-living-room advertising, supposedly in support of one candidate or party, but really a jeremiad on the consequences of not choosing correctly (i. e., for the person whose smiling mug is in the ad) than we have ever seen (so far). 

Just here in Connecticut, one candidate for Senate had reportedly spent twenty (20!) million dollars just during the party primary. Don't get me wrong-a thing is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it-though I reject the argument that campaign contributions are free speech. Across our country, billions upon billions will be expended for the equivalent of the impact that fireworks have on the process of democracy as a whole. I fear the day will come when we get the government we deserve and you're certainly welcome to believe I'm making that up but the hypnotized never lie.
-bill kenny