Divorced for unrecognizable differences

"Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet."
Rudyard Kipling (Barrack-room ballads, 1892)

When the expatriated Brit Rudyard Kipling inked this phrase about the inability of his native countrymen to effectively communicate with those he was living with in the sub-continent, he most likely used the local writing fluid of India. Rudy surely attributed this gulf of understanding to cultural differences but applying the same sentiments to today's political views makes it no less observant but clearly less eloquent: Liberal is liberal, and Conservative is Conservative, and John McCain was still defeated.

As the writer of an opinionated blog I've been called partisan, as well as homophobic, neanderthal, bigoted, sexist and, recently, English, but to be honest, none of these apply. Since partisan most usually refers to one fervently devoted to or biased in support of a party or group I don't accept that label. In recent years I've been as disgusted as much by Republicans as I am by Democrats for, despite their proclaimed divergent viewpoints, there is little difference in them when the rubber stamp goes down the spending road.

Evidence of this sameness exists everywhere. Senate Republicans fought hard against the recent spending of nearly half a trillion pork laden dollars after sowing (sic) it full of enough bacon of their own to fill the sties of every lobbyist President Obama supposedly refuses to hire. When it comes to accepting money in some muddied up scheme, Democrat John Murtha and Republican Orrin Hatch seem to be two pigs in a poke. And, I am letting no cat out of the bag (Yes, that is a pig reference. Look it up.) to say the bank bailout plan during the Bush Administration was as much of a swine-dle at the one currently happening under The ONE's watchful eye.

It is only during the heated debate of a campaign that a sliver of discernible difference shows through with enough light to illuminate a separation between the country's two most powerful, and therefore the only one's electable, political parties. However, once the ballot boxes have been suitably stuffed and mostly counted, the elected ones tend to tweez this sliver and the rift of electioneering differences heals quickly. Two examples arose just this past weekend.

During the election, candidate John McCain caught flack for pronouncing, "The fundamentals of our economy are strong." Candidate, and soon to be the First African American President of the United States Barack Obama went on the offensive to say just how offensive he found that statement.

Just yesterday on Meet the Press, Presidential Economic Advisor Christina Romer volunteered this regarding the state of our economy, "The fundamentals are sound in the sense that the American workers are sound, we have a good capital stock, we have good technology." Deja vu or similar view? You decide. Before you do though, consider this further statement that Ms. Romer attributed to The ONE: "There are no such things as Democratic or Republican ideas, there are only ideas."

My vote for McCain was, like many on the right, a vote more in favor of Sarah Palin and it seems more and more like the left's vote for Obama was one for McCain. During the campaign the former full time organizer and part time senator from Illinois berated the former POW over his proposal to tax the health benefits employees receive. Several of the Sunday "talking head" shows yesterday mentioned the trial balloon being floated by the ever campaigning President's White House to do the exact same thing. Of course, the President won't refute or deny this. This is kind of like voting "present" isn't it?

New York Democrats, rather than cutting spending propose to tax fatty foods. Not to be outdone, Utah Republicans propose to tax the highly addictive Caffeine. Finally, there's not an F'ing bit of difference talking to Joe Biden or Dick Cheney when you are just in range of a still on microphone.

Sometimes one of the twin parties births a fraternal rather than identical candidate and a politician of a different stripe takes office. Governors Sanford and Jindel (when he isn't on teleprompter) are two examples. They are candidates who refuse to think, act and dress in the time tested sameness of a Washington bureaucrat. In a few months (if not already) candidates will be appearing in your neighborhood seeking contributions for their run for office. It is up to you to determine if there is a dollar's worth of difference between them and if that difference is worth your support.

Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that once elected they won't, Chameleon like, change their colors to blend in with the other lizards who cold bloodily continue to lay the eggs of more and bigger Government in indistinguishable nests.

If you can find the man or woman who will hold true to their cause, be it on either side of the political spectrum, when all about them are losing theirs, you surely are a better man than I Gunga Din.