Time For Change?

Throughout the 398 month campaign season we've heard numerous candidates talk about how they are "outsiders" or want to bring a new direction to Washington.  If you ask virtually anyone on the street about the politicians in Washington, probably the most common response you'll get is "throw them all out!".  Change is the buzz word of political campaigns for this and virtually any race.  The question is, do we really want change?

After months and months of campaigning, what are we left with.  McCain looks to have all but locked up the Republican nomination and, while it's not a done deal yet, Hillary seems to be in a pretty good position for the Democratic side.  Clinton's most effective campaign rhetoric seems to be hearkening back to her husband's term in office, while McCain can't seem to use the words "foot soldier in the Reagan Revolution" enough.  In fact if I have to hear "Reagan Revolution" one more time I might puke.  It's not that I don't admire Reagan, but he was the right guy for the job at the time of the job.  Today is a new day with new challenges.  How does running on the coattails of Ronald Reagan or Bill Clinton make you an agent for change?  Since I've been able to vote, there's always been a Clinton or Bush on the ballot.  That doesn't seem like much change to me.

But do we really want change?  Change is hard.  Change is uncomfortable.  What we really want is comfort.  We want to know that our comfortable lifestyles will be maintained, that no big decisions will have to be made and that no real sacrifice will be required of us.  To vote for a true outsider means to jump into the well of uncertainty.  That's not comfortable at all.  So when a candidate pays lip service to past leaders it echoes with the public and makes them feel all warm and fuzzy 'cause after all, things were always better "back then", whenever "then" was.  Anyone who runs on a true change oriented platform is dismissed rather quickly has a kook.  They get virtually no support from the same majority of Americans who claim to want change.

I once thought that it would be great to have an incumbent/non-incumbent lever for the voting machines similar to the straight ticket lever we have now.  Then I could simply vote non-incumbent, and with one pull voice my dissatisfaction with the current group of politicians in office.  In reality though, I doubt it would really ever get used.  Maybe it's time to stop lying to ourselves and admit that we don't really want much change at all.