Political Signs

This morning, I came across this article from a couple of months ago. It's about Obama supporters complaining about yard signs -- either their unavailability, their cost, that they get stolen, or some amalgam of all three. The article reminded me of when the election was the most important thing in my life. If its possible to be nostalgic about this sort of thing, and enamored of the political process, I was, just for a bit.

No more. I've already seen articles saying that some Republicans in Congress are spoiling for the opportunity to trash what Obama and the Democrats want to do. Doesn't matter that we have broad and grave problems, with the economy being front and center like an unwashed fat man with an foul cigar in the front of a crowded elevator. Doesn't matter, to folks like that. Politics, my way or the highway, is all that matters. It's not just Republicans, though - there are some Democrats in Congress who are spoiling for a fight, too, because they don't think Obama's planning to do enough, or he's focusing on the wrong things, or he's doing the right things the wrong way. I realize that reasonable people differ in what they value; though I don't like it, I can respect it. I have to remember that I thought it entirely acceptable when Democrats complained vigorously about what Bush was doing, and worked to subvert his agenda. But when people start out saying they intend to block, change, alter, defer, as their very first position, either because their approach was defeated, or because their approach won but not the way they wanted -- well, gee, thanks for trying to make things better, folks. Thanks for giving the process a chance.

Politicians. Pfagh.