Prinicples- either Right or Left

Discontent amongst American voters has risen in the past year and a half over government spending, continuance of war, ObamaCare, the handling of the oil spill, etc. Gallup polls show that weekly approval ratings of the current administration have slipped in all voter groups, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, since July of 2009. This decline is at the least 8% (Republicans) and at the most 20% (Independents). A vast swing in the Independent voters is most alarming for political forecasts this November- they came out in majority and voted President Obama and other Democrats in, and now seem ready to apply the boot to their backsides in three months.

Input "town hall" into a YouTube search and you will find over 244,000 results. Politicians have used the Town Hall format to receive concern from constituents and to enlighten the masses on what is being done for the people. Now media attention has turned of late to the rising dissatisfaction from the attendees of these meetings. Many of the most viewed videos have been of rather confrontational episodes, and have been viewed over a millions times to date. Over the most controversial issues these politicians have been unable to even answer questions, let alone answer them well. While left-leaning congressmen are among the hardest hit, those on the right have come under heat as well.

In November and further on in two years, voter fallout may swing the balance of legislative and executive branches to the right, but will that improve the situation? Republican candidates and incumbents have begun to take hold on the dissuasion in the populace, yet if their platforms are empty rhetoric (as I am very afraid that it will be), to what party will voters turn to? If both parties remain fixed in a power struggle, Americans may turn to other means to reclaim their government. How I do not know, be it a third party or otherwise, but unless principles return to Washington within eight years, voters may lose the last vestige of confidence in representation and the Republic idea may begin to fail.

(Information for this post was derived from the Gallup poll at http://www.gallup.com/poll/141131/Obama-Job-Approval-Rating-Down-Among-Independents.aspx and from the Wall Street Journal at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704111704575355403205238916.html?KEYWORDS=town+hall )