Lessons in bipartisan politics

As the drums of the midterm election grows louder by the month, I recall the olden days when bipartisan politics first wedged a racist political divide among the indigenous people with republicans the seeming perpetual recipient of the golden trophy of defeat, now jelously the treasured crown of democrats.

Party platform was based on the latest fabrication of scandals and gossip trumpeted with impunity. I mean, I’ve never seen gossip geniuses of triple AAA grade than the olden days when we were ignorant of slander and libel laws. It was nasty, too. I recall someone’s farmhouse being reduced to ashes at dawn. That was the level of politics then turned into a cult far stronger than our traditional religious belief.

Each generation had a master politician who gravitates the crowd wherever he appears to deliver his latest fabrication. That was our rudimentary lessons in bipartisan politics that even involved prolonged family feud and all because of our new found toy in bipartisan politics. It got to a point where friends and families can’t get together for fear of being accused of disloyalty. Through the years or the political maturation process, this deficiency changed gradually for the better.

Those were the days when you need not go to a humorous flick to laught until your belly hurts. We definitely dwarfed the Lewinsky scandal. I remember walking to cathechism class one afternoon when I ran into a certain secretary whose under-garment was a campaign issue the previous night. I was puzzled, confused and bitter at what I heard the night before only to meet the alleged devil the next day.

At cathechism, Father Arnold’s explanation of the Holy Trinity had no chance sinking into my cranium. I was too preoccupied with the latest gossip dished out the night before. I’d meet the secretary here and there and it instantly turns into a flashback of that experience as a fourth grader. Did she or didn’t she? Or was the politician lying in sterling fashion? Had to dismiss it for it was really troubling.

At a republican rally in San Jose Village, I watched a master politician rip a Budlight beer case upon introduction, hoisting it in the air claiming “this is the republican party platform to better your lives”. I was stunned by the grand affirmation he received with horns honking, spectators clapping and yelling at the top of lungs, saying “right on”, “outta sight” or “go for it”. “Go for it” with a ripped Budlight beer case as a platform? Had to be a wobbly plan all the way around.

I went home troubled by the obvious masterful dictates of the emotions of the moment. All my plans of enterring politics were dashed by this experience. I decided then and there that it wasn’t my cup of tea either. Fortunately, I found out quite early that superficial prestige doesn’t pay for my bills and it is best that I stay the course of a professional. I have stayed this course with an ultra-sense of personal satisfaction. Hindsight gives us the opportunity to sink into nostalgia recalling our first encounter with the actual exercise of building our first civilian government.

Everything had to have a starting point and those were the olden days when the political evolution begun a difficult climb uphill. Through the years, we learned the difficult task of strengthening our democratic institutions to which our score so far, in a scale of 1-10, has been and continues to be stationary in the number three spot. I’m convinced we shall overcome these kinks down the stretch with local resolve to fix our own house with greater sense of accountability. It’s the only way to refining and strengthening our democratic institutions. Are we communicating?