For years I have had the realization that American politics is ONLY about power. I have carried no delusions about my party winning and then God would bless America once again. It is straight up power. They can yack about how they have the will of the people in mind, but when they get elected… game over. It’s about power.

David Brooks hits the nail on this head in this column. He says it far more articulately that I ever could. This paragraph is spot on:

“…populism is popular with the ruling class. Ever since I started covering politics, the Democratic ruling class has been driven by one fantasy: that voters will get so furious at people with M.B.A.’s that they will hand power to people with Ph.D.’s. The Republican ruling class has been driven by the fantasy that voters will get so furious at people with Ph.D.’s that they will hand power to people with M.B.A.’s. Members of the ruling class love populism because they think it will help their section of the elite gain power.”

Home run, Mr. Brooks.

On the Republican/conservative side (which is the source of my political upbringing), it was about saying to the right people, “Vote for us and abortion will be illegal. Vote for us and we’ll defend marriage.” Guess what? Nothing happened. They controlled the White House and both houses of Congress and did nothing on either issue.

On the Democrat/liberal side, it was about saying to the right people, “Vote for us and the poor will be taken care of. We will have healthcare reform. We will end global warming.” Guess what? Same story.

It’s about power. Their power. Now, with the recent Supreme Court ruling allowing corporations and unions to pour millions of dollars into campaigning for their candidates, you really need to know your voice will never matter again. We will just shift from PhD’s to MBA’s and back. We’re the tennis ball in the rich boys’ tennis tournament.