Joes

  In the political world, there are many personalities.  Some good and some not so good.  All have egos that need to be pampered by the voters.  One cannot be a politician without having an ego.  Another quality is that you need to be able to press the flesh.  You need to get out and meet the people.  Shake some hands.  Make the voters feel like you care about them, even if you might not.  After all, these people keep you in office, if they think you care about them.  Once they no longer have that feeling, you are out of a job.  That is why voting is so important.  In theory, it is to keep those who care in, and those that don't out.  That is also why you hear some politicians promise the sun, moon and stars to you, so you will vote for them, even though they can't deliver on those promises due to the system we live under.  Some call it "lying".  Others call it "deception".  Still others call it "smoke and mirrors".  It is actually just politics.

 Back in 2008, the senior senator from Delaware was running for President of the United States.  He was at the State House in Columbia to try and get support before the Democratic Primary in the state.  His name was Joe Biden.  I went to the press conference.  He made mention that he started his political life campaigning for George McGovern for President in 1972.  After the press conference was over, I went up to him and shook his hand while introducing myself.  I told him that my first campaign was working for McGovern in 1972.  He laughed and said, "That was the loneliest job".  We both had a laugh over that.  Nixon won almost every state that year.  In case you have lived under a rock for all these years, Obama picked Biden to be is running mate and then became Vice-President.  He later ran against President Trump and became the President of the United States.  He had a really good sense of humor.

 Another Joe on my list is Joe Wilson.  He represented the 2nd Congressional District in the House of Representatives in Washington for South Carolina.  You may remember Joe as the one who yelled out "You Lie!" while Obama spoke to Congress about Health Care.  I had met him on a few occasions throughout the years.  During the service for my pastor's retirement at First Baptist, he came to make a short speech about our pastor.  After the service, I went up to him to say hello.  He was very cordial to me.  I told him that I couldn't vote for him, even though his district was just a stone's throw away from where I lived.  He said with a straight face, that the Legislature should change the District lines, so I could vote for him.  That is called "gerrymandering".  I hope he was kidding, but it is hard to know with Joe Wilson.  I haven't seen him joke much.  

 Two Joes.  One is a Democrat and the other a Republican.  Vastly different politically.  Both Americans.  It would be nice if there was bipartisanship in Washington.  Like in the old days.  That's how things get done.  Politics can be a very messy business.  Votes count.  If you don't like someone, vote them out.  Just make sure that the one coming into that slot will be someone that will work for you and not for themselves.   How many politicians do you know came into office with nothing and left as a millionaire?  Why?  Because they stopped caring about the voters and cared more about the money from lobbyists.  As you are shaking your head and saying, "My vote doesn't count.  That's just the way it is.", it doesn't have to be that way.  We are Americans!  Let's act like it.