In Politics, the Ball is Round

There’s a soccer saying in Europe concerning the perception that calls are going against your team: the Ball is Round. The meaning, of course, is not much different from the American adage “what goes around comes around,” or in other words things tend to even out over time.

That’s pretty much where I think we are in the scheme of American politics today.

Just the last election cycle it seemed as if the Grand Old Party (GOP) was dead. People claimed the GOP was out of step with its constituency. And perhaps to some extent it was. But it didn’t take an “is you is or is you ain’t my constituency” Homer Stokes (Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?) moment to make the turn.

Somehow, and I am not saying the blame lies with any party per se, but somehow the ball has turned. Those who were on top, glad handing and jaw jacking about how the GOP was dead and ought probably to be buried, one supposed no longer seem to be on top, at least according to the latest polls. It doesn’t take much to change things or so it would seem.

Now, on the very doorstep of the elections, it seems those who were on top fear they will no longer hold their perch when the totals are totaled come Tuesday night. The powers that be in the U.S. Senate are seemingly preparing to get ousted and the formerly lifeless GOP is set to assume control of that body, to go along with the House of Representatives.

My my, we have come such a long way in a short period of time. Just when you thought the infighting and battling might be over; just when you thought we were in a political morass forever; the ball turns and the in’s become the out’s and the out’s become the in’s.

Or so it would seem.

And in truth, it hasn’t really helped either party to control either house. Both parties appear inept to a certain degree, and their arguments could easily support each other with just some minor tweaking. Neither seems to possess the moral fiber to beckon real change to the process.

Perhaps the best thing a democracy allows to flourish is the gadfly. A political gadfly is someone that bugs or nips a politico with the intent to influence him or her to do the right thing.

Socrates is fine example of a gadfly. He even called himself one, when he tried to influence the Athenian Democracy to “do the right thing.” Of course, the Athenian Democracy eventually arrested Socrates and forced him to commit suicide by drinking hemlock. But I suppose that’s one of the prices you pay for speaking up.

Still, a good democracy deserves a gadfly or two. And having a gadfly is especially necessary when it comes to local politics. Some politicians would tell you that all politics are local politics, and to some extent that is true. No matter what happens with the election, no matter if the Senate falls to the GOP or if it remains in possession of the Democrats, things in Washington won’t change very much. Yes, there may be some ballyhooing and some cries for change, but will there really be a change? And will the change have any lasting effect? Will such a change have any effect on the country at all? It’s hard to believe that any change in leadership will result in significant change for the constituency.

Meanwhile, we have to wait upon the tally to determine the winners and the losers. Ultimately, as things seem to work out with Washington politics, the public will fall cleanly in the loser category. It seems no matter what course we take, or are forced to take, the result will be bad for us – the constituency. It sort of makes me want to scrape up some hemlock. Happy Election Day – oh, and cheers.