SERVE THE PEOPLE NOT THE PARTY

By Richard Todd
September 27, 2006


Don’t waste your vote, vote Independent. That statement may sound odd; normally the argument about wasted votes have favored the two major US Political Parties. That was prior to the Internet.
With campaign support (meaning money) available via the Internet, there is suddenly a level (well more level) playing field for Independent Candidates. This enables the electorate to choose a candidate whose first loyalty is to the constituency rather than to a Political Party.
It also means that with only a small number of Legislators who are Independent, it is these individuals who will have a deciding say as to who controls the Legislative Agenda. That, my friends, is real power.
So -------- don’t waste your vote on major party candidates but choose an Independent.
In addition to choosing who controls the Legislative Agenda, your choice of Independents also restores honest debate over important issues facing the nation. With the present pattern of party-line voting, important issues are decided by dictates from the National Committees of the two major parties. This pattern is a clear presentation of a “house divided” which Lincoln warned against in 1858. (“A House divided against itself cannot stand”).
America has reached another critical crossroads in terms of what the future has in store. Those who favor a warm and fuzzy Foreign Policy are failing to face squarely the dangers that confront the Industrialized World. Drafting Foreign Policy so that other countries will like us is not necessarily sound strategic thinking.
Our leadership position is based upon military strength and that arsenal doesn’t win many friends (except when a crisis occurs).
To maintain our leadership position we also need a strong economy which supports all else. Many Career Legislators are trapped in “inside the beltway” thinking and are completely out of touch with Working America. This out-of-touchness was evident in the Dubai Ports Fiasco and the Teri Shaivo tragedy. Other examples are legion.
Coming to grips with the emerging power of Islam is no small order in itself. The wealth of the oil producing nations of the Middle East puts a whole new face on the long-held religious biases. It’s time to send some Career Politicians into retirement and infuse our Legislature with new thinking as well as the ability to reach across the aisle. Vote Independent.
That does not mean that the two Major Parties will dry up and blow away. Both Major Parties have a historical record of greatness. The infusion of Independents will help to restore a spirit of service to America rather than continue the existing trench warfare. VOTE INDEPENDENT.
Those of us who spent our childhood during the FDR Administration can remember an America that was united. Our entry into World War II was that of a nation hardened by ten years of the Great Depression. Yes, there were cultural divides; rich and poor, black and white, north and south ------- but the nation stood firm as the UNITED States. Our present identifications of red states and blue states undermines the source of our strength as a united people. If we continue as a “house divided” we do so to our own peril.
The US Constitution provides each of us as American Citizens the right to elect a government of our choice. That Right is a cherished possession of a free people but carries with it the solemn obligation to choose wisely. We’re not constrained by our Constitution to choose from only two candidates offered by the Major Parties. VOTE INDEPENDENT.
Finally, Dear Friends, it is not the candidate who is needy; it is We, the People who must recognize our urgent need for relief from interparty bickering and gamesmanship to maintain a prosperous America. Out-of-touch politicians in Washington DC are not meeting the needs of our Nation. The time is NOW. ACT. Don’t waste your vote.
Let us push forward the frontiers of effective Constitutional Government; grasp firmly the cord of Liberty and ring loudly the Bell of Freedom.
VOTE INDEPENDENT

Richard Todd has been a resident of the Snoqualmie area for the last twenty-four years. He participated in the early development of military jet engines (1950’s) and worked as a Professional Engineer in aviation and marine propulsion. He is an Independent candidate for Congress in the Eighth district in Washington State.