Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Party Switch = Betrayal

The controversy revolving around Arlen Specter’s switch of party alignment is that he is not voting as a “loyal Democrat” since he made the switch. Actually, I rather consider that faintly praiseworthy, and to some degree a mitigation of the betrayal that his switch of parties in mid-term constituted to begin with.

At no time during all of the media bloviation of his party change, or of his voting record since the change, have I heard any mention of the will of the people who elected him to serve a six-year term as a Republican Senator. He has betrayed those people and no one, not one person in politics or in the media has even spoken the phrase, “will of the people.”

That is because our national governance is not about the will of the people today. The governance of this nation is conducted by an elite governing class who are concerned about their own well being and the preservation and enhancement of their own power.

Specter changed party alignment blatantly to preserve his own personal position of power. The Democratic Party, Obama included, welcomed his corrupt change of loyalty and his betrayal of the people who voted for him with open arms because it increased their own ability to wield power. There were no principles involved here, no concern for the governed underclass; it was all an exercise in the manipulation of power within government.

What would Democrats be saying if one of their own had become a Republican? The question practically answers itself, and yet they welcome Specter as if he had done something noble and praiseworthy. President Obama promised to campaign for him against party members of long standing and loyal support, against party members who worked hard to help propel this historic candidate into office, casting them aside in favor of a Benedict Arnold who can enhance the power of the President’s party.

And so the “transformative President” is revealed as a manipulator and power broker. Is this the man who promised to change the way politics is done? Admittedly change does not occur in a day, but you do not change a corrupt process by embracing the corruption.

The “will of the people” indeed; democracy continues to die in America.

1 comment:

  1. Jessica10:44 PM

    To be fair, Specter pointed out in his announcement that a large number of people who were Republicans when he was last elected have actually now switched to Democrat.
    Also, when I vote for somebody, I vote for that person, not for their party. And I know I'm not the only one.
    I don't see what Specter did as a betrayal.

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