Why are You a Democrat or a Republican?

Yesterday we discussed Democrats supposedly favor the working class, and are courtship by unions. The Republicans supposedly favor business and economic development. Do these concepts hold up in the CNMI?

All of us are concerned about Federalization of immigration and the raising of the minimum wage to U.S. levels. Does that mean that our Democratic party favors these and our Republicans do not or vice versus? We are struggling to wrest ourselves from the grips of a serious recession. Does this mean one party favors staying in it while the other wants to spring us from it? Hardly. Both parties wish to keep control of immigration and maintain minimum wage levels and recover economic development. So it goes with other issues important to us. So where and what is the difference?

No matter how deeply I research these issues, I find no differences. Both Democrats and Republicans argue the same issues and desire the same results. In conclusion, I find no differences. In fact, I have seen instances where certain politicians changed parties for their own end, others became independent only later to return to the party they had left, and in one case created a new party called the Reform Party.

It appears what we have in the CNMI political arena are not platforms, but personalities who run in popularity contests. The individual who musters the largest number of “friendly voters” wins. This is similar to how we select most of our beauty queens. We award the crown to the girl who collects the most money regardless of any other quality. Is this what we want in our elected leaders- popularity contest winners?

We need to change the system into one that examines each candidate’s qualifications and platform. We need to know exactly how his promises will be carried out and on what time frame. We do not need mere rhetoric. Words are only hot air unless encased with ideas. Nor do we need beer-busting parties where everybody sucks it up and then leaves burping on how great a time he had.

Let’s not fall for idle promises before the election and than find out that’s all they were. Let’s demand that each candidate issue a platform of his intentions with details on how he is going to implement them. Let’s question where is he going to find the resources to carry them out. But most of all, let’s stop voting for unqualified candidates with big families.

We desperately need intelligent candidates who are articulate, resourceful, unafraid to chart new paths and who will produce results. The men we elect must not continue the system of cronyism. All positions of responsibility must be held by men of integrity and competence regardless of relationship to the winner. A person’s ability to perform the job should be the only choice.