Rudolph Brought Down By A Lack Of Vision

Rudolph floated forward.  Big, beautiful, and buoyant, his red nose a beacon leading the way as part of the local Christmas parade. Still, he needed helping hands to anchor him and navigate a path along the city street. Sure he was a bit awkward to deal with, but with a little foresight and planning, Rudolph would have been the star of that parade, inspiring wonder, joy and childhood memories. Instead…

Rudolph was brought down by the first traffic light his handlers encountered. It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad. Or so reminiscent of our own government’s inability to safeguard the American people interests, let alone lead us forward on issue after issue that is critical to our future – jobs, financial security, the environment …

I couldn’t help thinking, as I watched that video, that poor Rudolph’s demise was an ominous sign.

We start the new year with a slew of new Congressmen and Congresswomen but will they be any better than the ones they replace? Will they, too, waste their capital on ideology – this time lowering taxes, repealing Obama care and dismantling Social Security? Can they present a big picture vision for Main Street that will move us forward as a country? Can they cobble a future the American people can work towards and build together?

My big fear is that Main Street Americans will spend the year ahead like poor Rudolph in that parade, held down and impaled on one traffic light after another by a government that:

Fails to fully analyze conditions on the ground of Main Street.
Fails to envision possible obstacles for Main Street.
Fails to plan for contingencies for Main Street.
Fails to alter its course when necessary for Main Street.
Fails to communicate effectively with others on Main Street.
Fails to listen to others with knowledge on Main Street.

So why am I so skeptical?  And why do I think our government will continue to repeat all the failures of the past?

Because the key to a successful future for the American people ultimately depends less on which side of the street our government is on (right or left), then it does on what street our government is on.

And as far as I can tell, our government is still marching in the parades on Wall Street — not Main Street.

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