Like it or not - and there are many people, including us at times, who don't - the U.S. really has only two major political parties. We'll agree that there are many other minority parties, including the Tea Party. However, like the old Big 8, American politics is dominated by two groups that take most of the energy, money, and attention, while everyone else is mostly relegated to the sidelines
That binary alignment in American politics often leads Americans to act more like fans of a particular sports team than citizens involved in solving the problems of our society, something we've decried many times before.
Today though, we're going to take the sporting approach for a reason.
Everyone knows the best sports match-ups happen when you have two teams who put their best players on the field - and the players on each team are a good match for their opponent's strengths and weaknesses.
Unfortunately, the match-ups we're beginning to see take shape for the 2012 political season are nothing like that. Frankly, for one of the two major political parties, they're embarrassing.
Take Newt Gingrich, for example.
A one-time power player for the Republican Party during the 1990's, Newt has returned to attempt to run for President in 2012. Even before he announced he was officially running this year, it was clear that Newt's stats would never match up well with the current GOP fan base.
For a party that continues to attempt to claim the mantle of family values party, Newt's record is a disaster. Three marriages, multiple affairs - including his affair with his high school teacher (who became his first wife), and serving divorce papers on ill women twice in his life make it incredibly unlikely that Newt will be the GOP's chosen star next year.
It hasn't helped that Newt's been blasting nearly everyone lately, Democrats and Republicans alike, on both sides of the field.
Another major GOP star, Mitt Romney, increasingly looks like this year's Wrong Way Corrigan.
Romney proudly held a position formerly held by most of the GOP, that Medicare for all Americans was unacceptable and socialist, but that universal health care with an individual mandate (which allows private health insurance companies to still be part of the system), was a great idea. In fact, Romney built his signature political achievement as Massachusetts governor on that idea.
Of course, Mitt is now running from his own healthcare plan as fast as his political legs will carry him. Don't even ask what Mr. Romney's position on abortion is. His answer will likely depend on which end of the political field he's running toward.
All this while the Democratic nominee for President in 2012 is the current President, who is primarily responsible for preventing an apocalyptic economic collapse (so far), who created or saved more jobs in 27 months than his predecessor did in eight years, and under whose watch and leadership the most wanted terrorist in American history was eliminated.
Some of our readers may think we're reveling in these potential matchups. They'd be wrong.
We'd rather see the two best individuals - evenly matched - debate fairly, cleanly, and solidly, and have the best candidate win.
Right now, it appears one side is bringing in the pros, while the other side is bringing in the rejected players from the local high school YMCA team.
We'd hide our eyes if we weren't so afraid we might miss something.
