...a 21st Century Guide to Re-thinking Politics...

Much like the fall of the economy and the continued slip of America's dominance around the world, the nature of the 'big idea' for America is stumbling. And by America, we mean, 'Americans'. In thirty short years I've seen a nation that worked together to a nation that can't wait to rip at their respective (though virtual) 'sides'. Like a multi-sided prism, we can look at different vertices and see how that lens may distort, or, more importantly, bring into sharper focus, how we can regain lost ground in the last decade.

Politics, since the famous Kennedy/Nixon televised debates, has expanded into a serialized mess. The primary problem is our viewpoint between substance and style is no longer a dichotomy: they are one and the same. This presents some fundamental problems in the way we address real issues. It fundamentally breaks down the walls that once made incredibly insightful distinctions.

When approaching the elections in the coming year, take a step outside and ask yourself, 'What would be the penultimate president/senator/representative/councilperson?'. I mean when you ask that question, we look in a series of boxes that are, at their core, essentially false.

"Well, I vote x, so I follow what x says." Idiotic and dangerous.

If either party had the fortitude to really dig us out of the cyclic mire of poor decision-making, from the individual to the federal level, they would come up with much different criteria.

Any political leader, in a 'perfect' world would be someone that would have absolutely no style. I mean this person would be a dynamic, cut throat bastard, but, in essence, would have to definitely be a bureaucrat that can incisively look at the hard decisions and just enact them. And this act would not come from a 'judicious' or 'just' way - it would be a 'hard facts' mentality. Shit needs to get done and we need to make some drastic turns to: educate individuals for proper fiscal efficacy, bottom-up of the education system and national infrastructure, pass a Constitutional amendment on limitations of federal spending, and mandatorily have all states provide solvency within 5 years.

Not only do I not want, but I demand against, any one with a silk tie and Italian shoes. I don't want catch phrases and logos. I want the biggest shlep this side of an accounting work book. I don't want "big" ideas from any side, because that's not what the nation needs right now.

America needs to take a step back, collect its thoughts, and Americans need to come up with the next big idea, not a president.