Chatter With Kate: SNOWSTORMS, POLITICS and POLITICAL PERCEPTION

Well hello everyone and you certainly have to have sympathy for the folks in the eastern United States and all the snowstorms that are frequently occurring. The jokes on the American late night talk shows about politicians and the snow are really pulsating. When the government shut down because of the snowstorm that has been hounding Washington DC there were cheers around our neighborhood. It is a sad thing that you hear these cheers and it is also a sad thing that because the federal government has lost the basic respect of the citizens by their partisan antics and failure to listen to the populace they are subject to these barbs and statements or the words ‘oh good, we can all take a rest off them’ (those folk in the Capitol and White House). I don’t think that I have ever heard such bickering and seen such posturing before the press (the latter four words are a quote from President Obama) from our politicians as there has been lately. Of course, you have to remember that 2010 is an election year for a lot of folk. Posturing in an election year is a natural occurrence. You know, politics is perception and I wonder if some of our representatives ever watch themselves on television. I would love to just pick up a few of them and shake them and say ‘come on mate, you can’t have the stance you do, on television – its doesn’t work’. Oh they won’t listen to me anyway but over the years and having studied political science at university and having worked in the background of political offices you watch the antics and posturing and just shake your head. Perhaps I should go in for political PR. I think my husband would have a fit or maybe not. Our politicians have GOT TO REMEMBER that we, their public, remember everything when it comes to our voting and our perception of them on television. I think that perhaps this is a problem with our President. I think he is a clever man, means well but right now he needs to have a less arrogant stance. The general perception of him could be better. Stabbing in the back is rife in Washington DC – it is an art form in politics and he needs to rearrange his staff as they are not always perceived well. He needs to be very strong and if his VP does say that the President has ‘both feet on the ground and he knows each day what he is going to do’ then if he is going to get another 4 years in office come 2012 then I would say to the President, ‘walk firmly, very firmly indeed’. Politics isn’t nice and people like to keep their little piece of power and right now, I have a feeling that he will be challenged in a primary. This election year will see some huge changes and some of our more well known politicians will find themselves back in their homes looking at the television like the rest of us.

So, when the snow melts and the streets become safe to walk on and to drive on in Washington DC let us hope that posturing takes a backstance, the folks in the Capitol et al. get their heads together on jobs and to quote our Vice President ‘get the quality jobs back on the market’.

Get to work politicians, from the President downwards and get the political perception back on track because it surely isn’t on track right now.

Cheers folks, keep warm and well and don’t forget to have your H1N1 shots.

Kate.