From time to time it's nice to take an inventory of where one stands in the political spectrum.
Now seems like a good time to do this because I believe it is one of the most divisive, partisan times ever.
I get the sense the nation is polarized. It's an "us against them" kind of thing.
Certainly, elected officials must share a good bit of the blame.
I remember when W took office the first time. He billed himself as "a uniter, not a divider." Well, how's that workin' for ya these days, W?
After his re-election, I remember him saying his win gave him "political capital." He followed that up with, "and I'm gonna spend it." He said it with a smirk, or a sneer.
I remember thinking to myself, this can't be good.
And it hasn't been.
I have always considered myself a conservative, but I have a tough time squaring my political ideology with the current crop of Republicans - from W on down.
Honestly, they don't act very conservative. During W's first term, when the GOP was running the show in the House, the Senate and the White House, we wound up with huge new government programs.
The USA Patriot Act. No Child Left Behind. The prescription drug benefit. These things were budget busters, and W was all too happy to go along with them.
In fact, W didn't veto anything - not one thing - during his entire first six years in office.
Now things are different.
Since the Demos took over Congress, the veto pen has been wielded over things like a modest (by Washington standards, 3 or 4 billion dollars a year is modest) proposal to give health insurance to poor kids.
Things like this tell me that there's little going on in Washington on either side of the aisle that has anything to do with what's right for America.
It's all about political expediency and wielding and retaining power.
The net effect of all this is polarization. Each side feels put upon by the other. Each side digs in and refuses to give an inch. There is little or no room for compromise.
Very little can be accomplished in an atmosphere like that. And that is precisely what's going on in Washington right now.
Very little is being accomplished.
There are some pretty pressing issues facing this country right now that aren't being addressed at all because there is no hope of any meaningful legislation being crafted.
It's worrisome.
And it's not going to get better anytime soon.
The 2008 election, I would be willing to wager, will be one of the most contentious in history.
And I think the divisiveness slops over into the culture. It's not just in Washington.
I have conversations with my liberal friends who absolutely seethe over people like Ann Coulter, but perceive somebody like Al Franken as very measured and enlightened.
We're polarized.
Seems to me that people like those are good at saying or writing shocking things just for the sake of being shocking.
You really can't let that stuff get under your skin. It's almost like a comedian's act.
Of course, people like Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh stretch the limits of civil discourse. But so do people like Al Franken and James Carville.
Conservatives and liberals alike have their poster children for uncivil discourse.
That's America. So why let it whip you into a froth? Better to just figure out where you stand and try to elect people who represent your views.
People who will work together for the common good.
These days, I suppose to get the closest to my political ideology, I would have to vote Libertarian, but there is a bit of a viability problem there.
I don't like government making me jump through hoops, even if I tend to agree with the hoops.
I always wear my seat belt. I have a motorcycle, and every time I ride, I wear a helmet. But I completely disagree with seat belt and helmet laws.
In my view, there should not be a threat of civil penalty for me if I choose not to wear a seat belt.
In general, I believe in the 10th amendment: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
We're far flung from that concept, aren't we?
The government regulates everything from ladders to lawnmowers, toasters to clothes dryers.
That is not the concept of a limited government the founders intended.
I think life begins right after conception, so I can't wrap my head around the concept of abortion.
I believe "people" means "people" with regard to the Second Amendment's right to bear arms.
I think the government should get out of the capital punishment business - it fails as a deterrent and is so unfairly administered. If you can afford a top-notch legal team, you will not be put to death in America no matter how heinous your crime.
My world view has changed a bit over the years, but generally, I guess I'm a conservative.
It's just tough finding people to vote for these days.
