The page has turned on another year in our democracy, and we the people again have a year of choice in front of us. There is a weed-like notion in these United States that our democracy is broken, ineffectual, corrupted, irrelevant, or all of the above. Supporting this idea are the unrealized dreams, unmet needs, and hurt feelings of most of our population. Democracy, after all, is a treacherous and finicky beast; the will of 51% makes a law that 49% may find lacking, bad, or downright evil. As a result, the collective we changes our mind with great frequency and violent efficiency.
This year, and this election, will not be decided by the will of 51% of the population or our general electoral schizophrenia. The contest won’t be decided by pollster’s registered voters or likely voters. Our future won’t be decided by the electoral college, the U.N., Chinese bankers, Bible prophesy peddlers, or ancient aliens trailed by black helicopters. The Presidential election of 2012, and all of the down-ticket contests associated with it, will be decided by people casting ballots in schools, fire-houses, and community centers from sea to shining sea. More specifically, the elections of 2012 will be decided by the working class; that broad cut of Americana that must first decide if voting matters, and must then decide for whom to vote.