The Media and Democracy
Fall is in the air, and I can recall taking the kids to Glenwood Springs for the Labor Day weekend decades ago; it snowed about 6 inches of heavy wet snow and the pipes in the old Colorado Hotel were popping as the boiler began to fire up for the cold spell. It’s seems like a short summer, it always does, because Colorado is such a pleasant place to be in the summertime. The highways and city streets are crowded with cars at record levels with natives, newbies, and tourists. If you’ve traveled West into the mountains, you may have experienced the highway delays at the Floyd hill construction site with blasting rocks and widening the traffic lanes funded for $700 million over a five-year project to relieve traffic jams at the location. U.S. 70 westward is also showing the wear and tear of burgeoning traffic and is in dire need of resurfacing. It is embarrassing for such a beautiful state to have pothole highways and CDOT signage missing letters.
Colorado is now factually a strong blue state, increasing during the Biden administration with two Democrat U.S. Senators, both from Denver and four Democrat members of Congress. Democrat Governor Polis has been popular with Colorado voters and has earned national recognition as chair of the Democratic Governor’s caucus. This team has been very successful in bringing the federal “Gravy Train” to Colorado. The state had to be at the top of President Biden’s favorite list. Giving credit where credit is due, U.S. Representatives in Congress are judged on bringing home the bacon, and this has been a Colorado breakfast smorgasbord.
The tide has turned with a new red state regimes prevailing and President Donald Trump returning as the 47th President, along with a very ambitious agenda. Depending upon your politics, or lack of it, there are now more unaffiliated voters in history. This majority is either pleased, disgruntled, or turned off by politics as this ambitious president prevails in many instances. He never seems to tire and is like the “energizer bunny,” hosting and working.
Being in the media, I watch a lot of news every night. My wife Gerri tires of my incessant evening news programs that range from FOX, CNN, now Newsmax and News Nation. Gerri would rather watch the Hallmark channel. I’ve always liked FOX, but tiring over the constant chatter about old issues; time to move on. I don’t care for Gutfield, too crude for me, so I have been switching to Newsmax during that hour and back to FOX for the 9 p.m. news recap. TV media can be very confusing where viewers can watch FOX for one opinion and turn to CNN for an entirely different take on almost the same issue. FOX, rooting for Trump, CNN going in the opposite direction, but good at hard news and international events with less talk. I watch “Meet the Press” on Sunday morning to see what Democrats are complaining about over President Trump’s progress, or lack of it, depending upon your political affiliation or intuition.
I have always been a believer in the two-party system that has made us the envy of the world with the competitive spirit for leadership. It is very apparent at this time in history that there is a power struggle ongoing between the three branches of our government… Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. Every branch is under some criticism over who’s in charge and best in following the Constitution that defines our democracy and destiny.
Good government begins at home with city and county governments and active citizen participation. It is not up to them, or they, it is up to me, you, us, to be well-informed. We need to participate in elections, listen to all candidates, give them financial support, and most importantly vote in person or by mail. Every honest vote counts, now more than ever, and the will of the people must prevail.
Those old western cowboy movies are pretty good too!