Change is inevitable. Just as inevitable is politicians talking about it in the hopes of attracting voters.
Yes, the very concept that propelled Democrats into control of Congress in 2006 is what is being talked about today in 2008. Barack Obama talks about change. Hillary Clinton talks about change. John Edwards talks about change (although in these cases, I'm not sure if they're referring to an alteration of the status quo or the change in our pockets.)
As much as we like to talk about the need for change, we never seem to answer the question why. Just because someone says we need to change doesn't mean we do. After all, that person could be crazy or drunk or Britney Spears, but I repeat myself. Without asking why change is necessary, all we're doing is letting our emotions replace our thinking.
Which is exactly why politicians talk so much about change.
I blame Ross Perot for this phenomenon. His whole strategy was mentioning "reform." He even named his party after it! But few people if any asked why things needed to change. This lead to not just one election run for Perot, but two, but also gave Pat Buchanan and Jesse "the Body" Ventura a place to go politically. But people ate it up, and still do.
You may not think things are going exactly right for the country, but before you buy into the notion that a change is necessary, remember not all change is positive. The Democrats in 2006 made all sorts of calls for change and won on that agenda. Then, when they got into power, they didn't make many changes, except to Congress's approval ratings, which went down faster than Bill Clinton's pants at a sorority party. And things haven't gotten much better since the change. And remember, Democrats have another year of leadership ahead of them. If you thought this year was bad, I can only imagine how much worse they'll get this year with an election and President Bush's last year in office. I guarantee there will be more mud slung than at a monster truck rally.
And remember, people voted for this.
Next time you hear a politician talking about how we need to change, there's only one change you'll need to keep your sanity.
Change the channel.
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BAGHDAD - A suicide car bomb killed nine people near the Iraqi Health Ministry in central Baghdad on Sunday, security spokesman Brigadier-General Qassim Moussawi said.
BAGHDAD - Gunmen posing as Iraqi security forces kidnapped 14 members of one family in the volatile Diyala province north of Baghdad on Monday, police said.
BAGHDAD - Nine people were killed when a suicide bomber posing as a shepherd attacked police north of Baghdad on Tuesday and U.S. soldiers killed at least six civilians in a spate of shootings, security officials said.
AL-ZAB - Three Iraqi soldiers were wounded when a roadside bomb blew up near their patrol in al-Zab, 35 km (20 miles) southwest of Kirkuk, police said.
NEAR BALAD - One policeman was killed and two others were wounded in clashes with gunmen near Balad, 80 km (50 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.
When people say they want change, I'm not so sure they really mean it. I think what they mean is they want the OTHER guy to change, so their lives can change for the better without them having to expend any effort.
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