In the Poker Game That Is Politics, No Card Goes Unplayed!!! Democrats, Republicans, & BiPartisanship, Oh My...
As a diversity director/consultant you could say it is my job to pay attention to how we engage people's differences. Is there any more pertinent difference to consider than the political chasm that separates our two major political parties? Could politics be any more polarizing than the seeming inability of either party to actually own the fact that representatives of each party actually misstep/misspeak from time to time! All you have to do is know that the take on Palin/Obama you are about to hear is from a Democrat/Republican) and you can essentially anticipate what you will hear! It is a rare occasion that we hear anyone considered a staunch Democrat acknowledging the merits of a Republican or vice-versa! What is that about? Is that the American Way? If it is, is America flawed in some ways that make it philosophically dysfunctional?
In the WBA, NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, ATP, WTA, MLS, WBA--and any other sport you want to consider--it has become common practice to respectfully acknowledge the merits of your opponents. If in American politics the major leagues is the presidential election, why have the rules of engagement been so dramatically different? There doesn't appear to be any genuine bipartisan respect acknowledged beyond compliments laced with political posturing. Is this a result of the passion of two very different candidates, or the passion of two very different agendas, or perhaps both?
With a disastrous economy hanging in the balance, this election has socio-economic implications like no other, and it is the only so-called card that both parties will play, but they play it cautiously and with their cards close to their vest. That aside, how do you see the ageism card being played? How do you see the race card being played? How about the gender card, did it hit the table beyond the appointment of Palin or response to that appointment? Has the ableism card been played by anointing Palin's support of Down Syndrome, or played in a very different way by any conversation about McCain's ex-wife Carol being situated on the margins of public discourse, especially when the topic of character of the candidates arises.
Is the religion card absent from this game of political poker, or is it some what tucked away in the aftermath of its heightened visibility over the last eight years, perhaps a side effect of a failed or as some might be apt to say, bushwacked economy. I think the card that was least played was the sexual orientation card. Why would that be?
Could it be that the American political system is in need of dire repair? Is it possible that this election will set the table for similar campaigning during future elections, by either upping the ante so that negative politics becomes as antiquated as the Model-T. Or will tomorrow's political competitors have to demonstrate a few additional layers of skin before they can even be considered as candidates?