All the Drama

VIEWPOINT

By RALPH HARDIN

Evening Times Editor

So, I haven’t really been talking too much about politics in this column lately (Yay!), but I guess I am today (Boo!) even though I, probably like many of you, have a little bit of politics burnout.

I used to really like discussing politics, back when it was about policy and not party, but I’m afraid those days might be long gone. Today’s political scene has more drama than an entire season of your favorite soap opera, more arguing than your favorite daytime TV panel show, and more fake action being passed off as real action than the latest edition of the top-rated professional wrestling program.

That’s really what politics has devolved into, isn’t it? Just drama, arguing and fake play-acting at trying to do “real” politics. Part of that is that the actual statesmen and stateswomen of bygone days are largely gone. Either that or they are being drowned out by the loud “squeaky wheels” of whining right-wing and left-wing nutjobs that have taken over Congress and the general political arena over the past decade even at the state and local level. The sad part is that some of these folks (and it’s on both sides,

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I assure you) managed to get not only elected (like the fantasy-fiction resume of George Santos), but get re-elected (like Marjorie Taylor Greene and her Jewish space lasers). You also have these ancient old legislators like Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell, for whom the world has moved on but they don’t seem to realize it. Nothing against old people at all. I hope to become one some day, but how long does one need to be in power? It really is like an old soap opera where the long-serving millionaire business owner refused to cede any of his fortune or power to his squabbling children. I can think of at least a half-dozen shows on right now with that very premise… and we’re not talking about “Days of Our Lives” or “Yellowstone” here. This is the real world where we are living and working and trying to have something to leave behind for our children and our children’s children (yes, being an expectant grandfather has me thinking about these things).

Let’s cut the drama, please.

We have two years until the next election. Let’s see if we can really make something happen in 2024 and save the drama for TV…