Perhaps people in other countries, such as the UK could better understand the politics of the United States from this analogy:

In the U.S., we tend to have an incredible need to feel a sense of belonging. We pick a team in a sport we love, such as American football, basketball, hockey, or baseball. We follow that team passionately, arguing vehemently with anyone who speaks negatively about them. We call into sports talk radio shows, read statistics, watch the draft of new players into the leagues, purchase mazines and books by the millions, and wear team jerseys with incredible pride, as if that act alone makes us more a part of the "team".

We do much the same with politics. Many, and I mean MANY of my friends have no clue as to what any major political party actually DOES while holding a particular office. Most people cannot even tell you who their two state senators are. Hardly anyone can tell you who their state representative is. All we know is "By God, I'm a (Republican, Democrat, Liberal, Conservative)" and nothing you do or say to show them that they don't even know what they are joining will sway them from their allegiance to a political party.

I'm sure most Europeans know how "excitable" and "vocal" their fans can get at a football game (we here in the U.S. call it soccer, of course). We all see the news clips of the fights, riots, deaths, etc. All that over kicking a little ball into a net.

Perhaps you can understand why Americans sometimes go overboard defending the positions of political "leaders" for their respective parties. Just as with my neighbor who bleeds Dallas Cowboys blue and silver, and who hasn't missed a game since the mid-60's, it wouldn't matter if they hired Satan to coach the team and Hitler to be the general manager. He'd find a way to have an optimistic outlook on the upcoming season and get into a shouting match with anyone who dissed his Cowboys.

The stakes are much higher with politics. Despite the fact that the vast majority of people vote and defend their beliefs with very little knowledge of what they are defending, they are sometimes very passionate about their views.

Unfortunately, in my opinion, nobody would ever get elected to any major office in this country being completely honest with voters. You have to cater to as many voters as possible, and be as "on the fence" as possible, talking a LOT, but not saying much of anything, until you get elected. Then you have to worry about reelection, so you do all of your dirty work prior to the year of your reelection, then you go around trying to mend fences with those you offended. It's all a huge game, and the people fall for it every time. They have for decades, and and probably always will.

I hate it when folks on message boards like this one, or the others I am more frequently hooked into get into hateful fights with each other over politics. It's sad that people blindly follow the "leadership" of politicians. I much prefer to think for myself, take with a HUGE grain of salt anything that a politician says, and then see if he or she has been honest with us by his or her actions. That's the litmus test I give all politicians when I enter the voting booth.....did they tell the truth or dish us a plate of lies and distortions? Only their actions can answer that.
onwardthroughthefog Reviewed by onwardthroughthefog on . Politics in the U.S. Perhaps people in other countries, such as the UK could better understand the politics of the United States from this analogy: In the U.S., we tend to have an incredible need to feel a sense of belonging. We pick a team in a sport we love, such as American football, basketball, hockey, or baseball. We follow that team passionately, arguing vehemently with anyone who speaks negatively about them. We call into sports talk radio shows, read statistics, watch the draft of new players into the Rating: 5