The three branches of our system of government are designed to protect us, the people, by pushing back vigorously against one another and preventing abuse of power by any one faction. The political parties supposedly exist for the same reason. It isn’t really working that way recently, is it?

Glenn Greenwald has written an excellent article for Salon in which he lays bare the failings of the current Congress in looking out for our best interests. The culprit? In my opinion, it’s career management. Representatives and Senators who cast their votes based on opinion polls and electioneering, even with the clear knowledge that the polls themselves are just another form of cynically managed information. That’s a sorry excuse for leadership, but apparently they believe we’ll let them get away with it.

Obviously, the goal these days isn’t better government, it’s prevailing in the next election. And after the last few elections and their aftermath, can anyone still argue that the peoples’ will and wellbeing even occasionally enters the collective mind of the Democratic or Republican leadership?

None of this is new, but the bad moves in the past decade have been accelerating. It’s not just outrageous pork projects, influence peddling, and institutionalized gray-zone corruption anymore. We’re sliding toward some very serious end-points now, and it’s up to us to stand up for ourselves while we still can. It should be clear by now, especially after the last mid-term election, that our priorities aren’t high on the to-do list in Washington. Apparently, our role is simply to buy a line of focus-group-created BS, just long enough to cast a vote in their direction, and then be ignored until the next election cycle.

But the vote is the best tool we have. I admit, I haven’t been the best at tracking candidates’ records, but I’m getting better. I’ve decided to ignore the increasingly blurry party lines, and support only those that seem like they’ll stand up for us, with courage and integrity. If they keep their promises, they can stay on, and if not, we should send them home. That’s the greatest power in government, and it’s in our hands.