Strategy

America is mired in it quadrennial pagan ritual claimed to be the shining example of the democratic process, a presidential election campaign.

The red team seems to be on a search and destroy mission of attacking everyone and everything including itself, a strategy of alienation and division. It seems to be an attempt at divide and conquer through a smokescreen, which hides real issues. The blue team quickly capitalizes of Red’s alienation an draws in the disenchanted with platitudes of inclusion and change, another smokescreen hiding challenges that will play out long after the election.

The country is in an expanding two front shooting war along with its economic melt down. Both the Red and Blue teams blame the current administration for the problems. It can be argued that the present administration contributed to the current tales of woe. The truth is, however, that the administration inherited years of bad Purple (Red plus Blue) policies and did little address the root causes. In the race for free lodging at the White House, neither team is adequately dealing with the real need of this campaign.

The country is ten trillion dollars in debt and expects to spend a trillion dollars above its income next year. While decrying Wall Street’s embrace of debt as the cause of the current economic crisis the government is in the same hole and still digging. Red’s traditional allies of financial institutions and corporate giants are drowning in a sea of “red” ink. That red ink is now beginning to wash over Blue’s working man allies with increasing numbers being laid off, Merry Christmas. The administration is dumping 800 billion down the hold without hitting bottom. According to financial reporting about ten percent of 800 billion bailout will be used to pay bonuses to those responsible for the debacle, Merry Christmas.

Voters are angry and frightened and neither team has so far provided what is needed most at the moment, Hope. During the Great Depression candidate FDR campaigned on hope. When elected he implemented the policies of his predecessor but continued to sell hope. The policies were to little to late and it was a long haul before the crisis ended but hopes of better times move the people forward.

What this campaign needs is to walk away from divisive electioneering for the electorate needs a large does of Purple hope, a Merry Christmas for all.