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As the next presidential election is just getting started, I can't help but be reminded about a book by Lee Iacocca titled "Where Have All The Leaders Gone?"
ok, yes, I know the election is 18 months away, but the two sitting atop the polls today are Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
So, where do I fall in this monumental decision?
I am right in line with the majority of Americans, with recent polls indicating 70% of us don't think Biden should run for reelection and 60% of us don't think Trump should run again, either. Some of that majority say it's age, as Trump will be 78 and Biden will be 81 when we next vote on our next leader. Others say they are politically exhausted with those two, or that Trump is facing criminal charges, or they don't like where the country is headed under Biden.
And many say neither Trump nor Biden have been able to unite the country.
I believe that we deserve a change and that we need to look for that uniter, a candidate who can give us a vision and hope that, by working together, the sky is the limit on what we can accomplish.
So, yes, I am exhausted with the endless finger-pointing in Congress, whose members can barely agree what day of the week it is, and of Biden and his constant drone of MAGA is bad. I have never understood why the slogan MAGA (Make America Great Again) is ridiculed by the Democrats. I am tired of Trump's childish nicknames, which remind me of the third grade.
Where have all the leaders gone?
Why do we have to label everything? We put a "D" or an "R" behind someone's name and the two major parties think we should plug our ears, shut our eyes, and just fall into line. They obviously think that we can't see or hear what's happening, and that we can't think on our own.
They believe it because it works, which doesn't say much for us, and I think it has to end if we truly want to change the course of our country.
Have you heard of No Labels? Look it up at NoLabels.org. They are an organization dedicated to looking for common-sense solutions for our country. They say, "We care more about our country than any demands from a political party." They also say the values that unite us are stronger than the disagreements that divide us. No Labels is not a political party and claims three differences in their political philosophy.
One, they want to hear from individuals, especially those who "feel iced out" from all the angry voices in Washington.
Two, No Labels believes in seeking solutions through bipartisanship.
And, three, they say they are deeply connected to those of us who don't feel comfortable under either big political tent.
Recent polling again leans in favor of their views.
When asked what political party we identify with, 41% of us say we are independent, while only 28% say Democrat and another 28% say Republican.
Those numbers mean to me that there are far more Americans who are as frustrated with the endless gridlock and are open-minded to looking for candidates who are first and foremost dedicated to an American agenda instead of a party agenda.
So, why don't we see more independents running for president?
The last serious contender was Ross Perot in 1992, when he received nearly 20% of the vote. If ever there was a time for a strong independent candidate to run, that time is now, based on the fact 88% of us, in a recent Monmouth University Polling Institute survey, "believe the country is on the wrong track".
So, yes, we can see where our country is headed. And, yes, we can hear the thunderous, angry voices coming out of Washington. And, yes, we are able to think for ourselves, despite what the current crop of federal representatives believe.
It's been said "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." I can only hope that we see a slew of candidates emerge in the coming months and that several actually do believe, as No Labels puts it, "Our country is more important than demands from a political party," because I am on the verge of political insanity right now!
Are you open to voting for a candidate from the party you identify with, or are you going to vote straight party line, regardless of the candidate? Please share your thoughts with me at gregawtry@awtry.com.
Greg Awtry is the former publisher of the Scottsbluff (Neb.) Star-Herald and Nebraska's York News-Times. He is now retired and living in Hubbard Lake. Greg can be contacted at gregawtry@awtry.com.