The Political Sidestep

I ceased voting in the general elections
for several, several years.
The last Presidential election brought me
out of retirement. My candidate didn't win
but that's ok, no one else did either.
(I don't vote party, I vote the person).

Why did I go into voting retirement? It
was thanks to one man, Fred Thompson,
former actor, then congressman, now
current actor, from Tennessee.

Overall, I liked what he seemed to stand
for. I thought he might bring about
change in the way we do politics.
Fooled again.

The hook for me was his agreeing to the
idea of term limits. I even went out on
a limb and told several friends about him
and his ideas. I was really hopeful and
waited, all wide-eyed with anticipation,
just like being back in college.

About two weeks after he was elected and
installed in office, I was reading our
local paper, just leisurely perusing the
various sections. About 5 or 6 pages from
the front page, a small article caught my
eye because it had Thompson's name in the
header. I read the article.

Thompson was backing up and doing an about-
face from his comments before the election.
'About term limits, well, uh, now, maybe
we were a little hasty in saying that.'
_______________________________________

You know, around election time, you will be
bombarded with all kinds of statements about
how it is 'your duty' to vote, how a candidate
might not get elected because of 'one vote,'
how 'valuable' your hard-won right to vote is,
on and on, ad infinitum.

My question? If it is my "duty" to vote, what
is the "duty" of those seeking my vote? What
is the "duty" of those who won with my vote?
What is their duty? Why are they exempt from
any 'duty' to anyone?

My 'duty' now? One is, I don't watch any show
in which Mr. Thompson appears. Period.
My other duties?
To voice my opinion, for what it's worth, to
anyone who will listen.
For the future, I'm definitely going to have
to see something better than the last several
elections before I waste my valuable time
driving to a precinct.