Don't Drink the Kool-Aid

You know, when people find out I'm a conservative, they automatically assume I'm a Republican.  This would be a mistake.  The same mistake would be made if someone said they were a liberal or a progressive and it was assumed they're a Democrat.  I have a political ideology, but I do not subscribe to one particular party.  That being said, yes I do tend to side with Republicans more often than Democrats, but I am not in lock-step with the GOP.  As an individual, I cannot abide those that align themselves with one party and support all of the talking points of one side and rebuke all the points of the other side.  If you really pay attention, the two parties are almost interchangeable with some of their policies.  Perfect example:  Two of the biggest policies of George W. Bush were the No Child Left Behind Act, which has been an abysmal failure, and the Patriot Act, enacted after the attacks of 9/11, that essentially allowed the government to spy on people they deemed to be a threat.  These are both "Big Government" programs that would not typically be associated with the Republican Party.  After all, they're all about smaller government, right?  You also have pro-life Democrats and pro-choice Republicans.  I could go on, but you see my point.  Here's the problem.  We have had the two-party system in place for a very long time, so it's what we have to work within.  For now.  Personally, I'd like to see all political parties eliminated and people run on their beliefs and their moral character (I know, politicians and moral character, oxymoron, right?).  Unfortunately, that isn't happening yet and the media doesn't want it to happen because that makes their job harder.  They want "good guys vs. bad guys" and the two-party system makes this easy and readily accessible.  They want you to believe what they're broadcasting as gospel truth, whether its MSNBC for the Democrats, Fox News with the Republicans, or all the other media outlets available and whomever they align themselves with.  In essence, they want us all to "drink the Kool-Aid."  Politicians feed on this too.  In 2008, there was such a public discord against George W. Bush that all Republicans were portrayed as another "Dubya."  I believe this is what allowed Barack Obama to be elected President with only ideas like "Hope and Change" with no concrete plans on how to improve the country or the economy.  If Obama would have had to lay out his plans before the election, there's a distinct chance he would never have won the Presidency.  But there was such an anti-GOP mood in the country that the Democrats won not only the White House, but a majority in the House and a super majority in the Senate.  In 2010, the Republicans made a comeback thanks in large part to the rise of the Tea Party and Obama's failed and unpopular policies.  Here's my point, those who seek public office will align themselves with whichever party they think will win.  The "D" and the "R" are interchangeable.  It requires more effort on our part to see beyond the party to the person.  I know politics can be boring, but which is more important, the future of our nation, or the next winner of American Idol?  You know my answer to that question, what's your answer?