A Political Caution

Florida Governor Charlie Crist may think he’s an independent, but he’s really the harbinger of an etherial “sustainment party.” It would be a party described as a coagulating mist of public officials who don’t want to lose their job. Being in public service, for some, is a lot like being on the public dole. I know, that's harsh and not true for all politicians, but hear me out. There are a lot of perks being a politician and most of the public is not aware of the public treasury largess.

Governor Crist wants to be a U.S. Senator from Florida. He thinks he will do a good job. He has a working knowledge of the governmental systems, he understands how politics work, he knows how to push voter buttons so that they will endorse and vote for him, he hopes they will forget their party loyalties and elect him as an independent candidate since his long standing Republican party rejected him in favor of rival Marco Rubio.

And I love his spin: Crist says being an independent allows him to stay true to his beliefs.

Mr. Crist, I hope that quote is true to your heart and to your ethics and not just true to your campaign rhetoric. My experience, not with you, but with some other politicians in public service is that their primary motivation is one of keeping their jobs and not one of altruistic public service. If altruism were the motivator of political lives and votes, we would not have the contention, the partisanship, and the logjam of needed legislation in Washington.

Changing party’s to keep one’s job is becoming commonplace in American politics. I don’t blame the politicians. I chide the electorate for not seeing beyond the ruse. We claim we want change in Washington or in our state governments, but unless we reject the familiar and all its encumbrances and embrace the hope, the mystery and the promise of positive change, we will never move from what we do not like.