The 2016 presidential race is truly firming up to be a monumental event in American political history.
The 17 Republican Presidential candidates, particularly Trump, Carson, Fiorina and to a lesser extent Cruz and Rubio, and the rise of Bernie Sanders should be proof enough that the political elites are losing control.
We are witnessing what veteran pollster and political pundit Pat Caddell calls an “insurgency election.”
According to Caddell “Americans want their sovereignty back” and, by all appearances, 2016 is the year they intend to get it. “A new paradigm has emerged. It is a shift in political tectonic plates, the death rattle of the old order and the coming of the new political order.”
As this year’s election season progresses, signs are becoming more and more evident that the reins of power are shifting from the entrenched political party leaders to everyday Americans of all ideologies. No longer are Americans content to sit on the sidelines while the political class, media pundits, and the donor elites choose their nominees.
Party faithful and the media have resisted accepting what appears obvious to us. But if you doubt it, take a look at The Smith Project, authored by Caddell and colleagues at Armada Publishing (http://weneedsmith.com/images/IssuesandAttitudes.pdf).
The Smith Project is an extensively researched study that surveyed over 3,200 registered voters from a wide spectrum of political ideologies. Below are some of the findings quoted directly from The Smith Project. The numbers indicate the percentage of the respondents that agree and strongly agree with the statement. You may find some of this startling.
· 87 percent – The power of ordinary people to control our country is getting weaker every day, as political leaders on both sides fight to protect their own power and privilege, at the expense of the nation’s well-being. We need to restore what we really believe in – real democracy by the people and real free enterprise.
· 85 percent – Political leaders are more interested in protecting their power and privilege than doing what is right for the American people.
· 82 percent – The country is run by an alliance of incumbent politicians, media pundits, lobbyists, and other powerful money interest groups for their own gain at the expense of the American people.
· 80 percent – Powerful interests from Wall Street banks to corporations, unions and political interest groups have used campaign and lobbying money to rig the system for themselves. They are looting the national treasury of billions of dollars at the expense of every man, woman and child; very few have been punished or have gone to jail; and this is undermining the moral foundations of America.
· 80 percent – The federal government has become a special interest group that looks out primarily for its own interests.
· 75 percent – The political parties, political class, and media basically limit the candidates we can choose from to people who share their view of the world, rather than reflect the views of people like me.
· 67 percent – The real struggle for America is not between Democrats and Republicans but between mainstream America and the ruling political elites.
Where do you stand?
If you agree, what can you do about it?
It seems clear that more independent candidates are needed from all points of view to compete for our votes in the open market place. If voters are to make truly informed voting decisions, we need to remove the filters and hear from the candidates directly.
We need more town hall meetings, debates, and candidate interviews. What is needed is something comparable to the sidewalk stump political speech as could be found in New York’s Union Square or London’s Hyde Park Speakers’ Corner.
There are many vehicles available to a free society such as ours by which the public can liberate itself from the manipulation of party leaders and a biased media.
Political activism, grass roots organizing, and the use of social media are examples of the ways to make this happen, but it all has to start with one thing – the engaged and informed citizen. The founders intended ours to be a nation of citizen-politicians – individuals who are tuned into the activities and needs of society, understand our constitutional government, and are willing to participate if and when called upon to lead their respective constituencies in defense of constitutional principles.
Sadly, far too many of our fellow Americans have foregone the important responsibilities of citizenship.
Many simply do not vote citing cop-outs such as “The system is rigged”, “All politicians are corrupt so I’m not voting for anyone” or “How can I make a difference?”
Others just vote the party line without making the effort to learn about the individual candidates and their principles. Sentiments such as these have led to the creation of a political class in this country, something the founding fathers worked very hard to avoid, and something the American voting public seems to finally be rejecting this election cycle.
While it may be refreshing to see candidates such as Trump and Carson emerging from beyond the political ether, it should not stop there. What America needs now more than ever is the rebirth of the citizen-politician who can actively engage in the political process free from the manipulation of the political party apparatus.
To this end, we have formed Government by the People. Our goal is to help local candidates present their policies in the open marketplace of ideas. More importantly, we hope to foster opportunities for the voting public to have a productive give and take with the candidates and make an informed and rational decision when they enter the voting booth.
We invite everyone interested in being an informed and reasoned voter to become a member of our Facebook group “Government by the People” and join the conversation. Beyond that, it is our sincere hope that more and more Americans will see the paradigm shift that is taking place, get off the couch, and become part of the process, just as the founding fathers intended.
Corinne A. Michels, PhD
Manhasset
Ray Ellers
Commack
