Reflections on our politics

Robert J. Samuelson's The Candor Gap hit on a subject that is dear to me - that whatever we have in our politics reflects us.

"People complain about governmental gridlock. But what often obstructs constructive change is public opinion. The stalemates on immigration and retirement spending are typical. We avoid messy problems; we embrace inconsistent and unrealistic ambitions. We want more health care and lower health costs; cheap energy and less dependence on foreign energy; more government spending and lower taxes. The more unattainable our goals, the more we blame 'special interests,' 'lobbyists' and other easy scapegoats."