Making Our Country Great Again… And Again… And Again

Political wordsmithing may sound new, but guess again

The debates are in full swing. You’re hearing some very good ideas issuing forth from both sides of the political spectrum. And a lot of what you hear sounds all too familiar.

Let’s look at a few sound bites that seem to reside at that Big Recycling Dump in the Sky.

“We need to re-start the American Dream.” We’ve heard this since people rode horses to debates.

“America is the greatest country in the world.” Don’t think many of us disagree with that.

“We need to throw out the politicians in Washington.” Of course, this has many variations: “old boys’ network or school,” “corrupt politicians at the mercy of special interests,” “gridlock.”

“We need tax reform.” Who doesn’t believe that? And it always sells well in Peoria.

“A strong national defense is essential.” Seems like there’s a lot of variation in what people believe strong means.

“Middle-class Americans are struggling.” This seems to be a common statement from the last 40 years. Wonder if we’ll ever stop struggling?

“Our foreign policy is unfocused and ineffective.” A claim made before WWII and still made today.

“Education is the key to our future.” Well, this certainly has been around since Day One.

“We must lessen our dependence on foreign oil.” Thankfully, this is happening at a break-neck pace.

“You can make a difference by casting a vote for … ” Name your subject: 1) me; 2) us; 3) throwing the bums out in D.C. Regardless, we hear it every year.

“Americans’ best days are ahead of us.” Gosh, I hope so.

Well, if you’re sick of hearing these lines, there’s a new crop of commonality in political discourse, such as “lead from behind” and “American exceptionalism.” Who can forget Reagan’s “shining city” or “I feel your pain” from one of the best politicians in recent memory?

While there are ample words in the English language, there appears to be some serious recycling afoot. For me, the prescription for the U.S. is simple. The greatest country in the world needs a strong defense, a chicken in every pot, energy efficient transportation and a lot of smart people who don’t pay taxes. But let’s not do that with the folks currently in Washington.

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