We (the People) Need a Hero

It's that simple.

Why is the presidential race (for both major parties) such a big story, so early in the process?

Is it because for the first time since 1976 there is no sitting President or Vice-President running for the office?

Is it because there is a candidate (of either party) who has so caught the pulse of the electorate that anything they do becomes the lead-in for the local nightly news programs?

No, and No.  

The reason that this presidential election cycle is so very Big New this early in the season is that (We) the people are desperate for a Hero™.

As evidenced by the most recent Senatorial snafu, the +1 Democratic Majority was, again, unable to get legislation regarding the Iraq Occupation onto the floor for a vote.  They didn't lose the vote, mind you, the Majority Party was unable to get the damn legislation onto the floor for a vote.  The only motion that the current Republican Minority is willing to cast a ballot on is yes or no for cloture.

Meaning that they will only vote yes or no on whether or not to have the opportunity to vote yes or no.  If that sentence does not make your head spin, then I think there's something wrong with you, too.

Oh, sometimes, how I long for those by-gone days when the headlines read, "... voted it for it, before I voted against it..."  At least then, there was enough bi-partisan activity to allow for voting on actual legislation, not just on motions for cloture. (This is an ad-hominem attack on congressional republicans - you bastards, every time the Democratic caucus threatened to fillibuster to stop votes on something they didn't like, you ran shrieking to the MSM that the Democrats were being 'obstructionists' and were keeping the US Congress from performing the duties they were elected to office to do. Now you as a group are doing it practically daily and where is the bloody outcry???)

So - our 2006 mid-term elections, which reversed over 10 straight years of republican majority rule, and which even the MSM touted as a rebuke to Bush, amount to nothing more than a dead-locked Senate, during a time when nothing less than aggressive, populous-minded action is being demanded of Congress (as evidenced by poll after poll on the thoughts of the electorate on the issue of Iraq, the War on Terror, Impeachment and other concerns of the day).

What these poll results provide is insight into a wide-spread feeling amongst our countrymen that the current status quo is no longer acceptable.  

For the most part, average Americans want the Iraq War-Occupation-Quagmire to come to an end.  We're not really very certain that we support any one means over another - we're just tired of the whole mess, and want the President and Congress to get us the hell out of there just as soon as possible, and to stop throwing the bodies of our fellow citizens (both men and women this time around) into the breach while they decide how to get from here to there.

What it's going to take to achieve that end appears to be nothing less than a Hero™.

Seriously.

Someone who is willing to gain nothing from their public outcry for action, any action from this achieve-nothing congress.

Someone who is willing to cross party lines to stop the immoral, unneccesary killing of innocents in Iraq to achieve, well, exactly what the fuck is the mission?  Democracy in Iraq?  While that might sound like a desirable objective, where, exactly in the US Constitution (from which the three branches of government derive their powers) does it state that the Executive Branch has the authority to (not-quite-declare and) persue War to promulgate democracy in a sovereign nation?  I challenge anyone to point out to me where I might find this article or sub-section.

Someone who is willing to persue public financing of (at the very least) federal elections.  If we allow public financing, our elected Representatives and Senators will be able to spend ALL of their time working on legislation to the benefit of the electorate - and ZERO time fundraising for their next campaign.  

It will spell the end, the absolute end of corporate influence on Congress.  No money, no influence.  It's really that simple.  We the People pay for the elections and We the People are the only ones that Congress is responsible to, or we continue to allow the Corporations to pay for the elections, and Corporations are the ones that Congress is responsible to.

Other than a Hero™, who are we going to find who will be willing and able to change the course of our Ship of State, and save our Democracy?

What do we need?  To quote Bonnie Tyler

Where have all the good men gone
And where are all the gods?
Where’s the street-wise Hercules
To fight the rising odds?

Isn’t there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need

I need a hero
I'm holding out for at hero 'till the end of the night
He's gotta be strong
And he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight

I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero 'till the morning light
He’s gotta be sure
And it’s gotta be soon
And he’s gotta be larger than life

A Hero™.  I looking for one good (wo)man.  Anyone interested?