Breaking Up is Hard to Do
Recently I began wondering what it would be like if President Obama’s campaign began playing Neil Sedaka’s hit “Breaking Up is Hard to Do” at his campaign rallies. It’s beginning to look like many people are considering breaking up with the President by November 6th. And really, why wouldn’t they?
There are many hassles of dating; maybe you’re going through some of them now. If we take a different view of voting, it’s not much different than dating.
First, there is the attraction phase, the moment that “special someone” walks through the door and you see him/her from across the room. You realize, WOW, I need to meet that person! When you do, you begin to swoon at their smooth talking, realizing they seem genuine (and pretty good-looking, too). You do everything you can to be near this person, especially if popularity is a “strong suit”.
Then, if you capture his/her attention, maybe you get some time alone and begin to share each of your thoughts and ideas, hopes and dreams. This is the moment where butterflies invade your stomach and it doesn’t really matter what they say or if you disagree with a few things. At this point they are wonderful and the most perfect person you have ever met. (Are your high school dating mistakes–I mean experiences–coming back to haunt you yet?)
After this period of your relationship, which could have been an hour, a week, a month or more, we sometimes begin to see chinks in our “dream dates’” façade. Maybe they aren’t calling you every day, or things they promised to do aren’t being done. To top it off, you are realizing you really don’t agree with each other as much as you thought you once did.
That’s when the uncomfortable feeling in your heart starts to grow. You see it coming–that moment we all dread in dating, but which Neil Sedaka was able to make a hit record about: The break up.
Many of your acquaintances might still like your boyfriend/girlfriend; maybe they are even really close buddies now. However your more logical and realistic friends are beginning to see what you see. When you ask what to do, they say things like, “Go with your heart” or “It’s okay, you will find someone better soon”.
You come to the point where you look in the mirror and say, “Should I stay or should I go?” (I know, another hit song by the Clash.)
Voting is the same way when you have an incumbent President. It’s a dating relationship, except you can only break up every four years.
Perhaps you are reading this and you voted for President Obama in 2008. Your relationship with President Obama is like so many other voters who had their hearts swept away with his smooth way with words and his sincere attitude toward worthy causes, but now you don’t quite see things eye to eye. Sometimes you even argue on what is the right thing to do in certain situations. You just don’t agree anymore.
Many of your friends are saying ‘he’s no good for you’, ‘get out of this relationship while you can’, but you are afraid. Who wouldn’t be after you’ve you four years in this President? You were committed to the “Dream” and “Hoped” it would last.
Now you need a “Change” and should move “Forward” without him.
I know what you’re thinking: “But I remember those Friday nights when everyone else had a date and I was home alone!” I completely understand. All your friends are probably in the Obama boat and if you get off, you think you’ll be alone.
You won’t be alone.
Like you, there are many disenfranchised and undecided voters and if you remember those painful break ups, when you see it coming you want to be the first to end it, usually using those fateful words, “It’s not you, it’s me”. When you don’t get to say it first, it hurts. All of us said, “If this happens again, I’m saying it first!”
Well, this year you can say it first. You get to do the breaking up but with a better way of saying it: “It’s not me, it’s you and I want a new President!”
Thank goodness when you date you can break up whenever you want; there isn’t a set amount of time you have to date before you can end it. No trial periods–after one date you can say goodbye! Unfortunately, it’s not that way in politics. We only get one chance every four years to break up—which is what we have right now.
If there is a doubt in your mind that you can’t last another four years in this relationship with President Obama, break up with him. You won’t be sitting home on Friday nights for long. Before you know it, the economy will be swinging back your direction and you’ll have money to go out with your friends again, as well as being able to fill up your gas tank more easily or pick up the taxi fare for the group, and with extra change in your pocket.
Breaking up is hard to do, but don’t let Obama sweet talk you into making up or staying with him for another four years with his empty promises. Those promises will only lead to four more years of heartache.
Use the lessons you learned from dating when you vote on November 6th.
