Friday, April 22, 2011

One's friends and One's Enemies are often the Same in Politics

In politics, one's friends and one's enemies are often the same.
Describe a specific political situation in which one's friends and one's enemies might not be the same. Discuss what you think determines whether or not one's friends in politics are also one's enemies.
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Politics has earned a reputation of being a dirty business. The fight to gain political seats most often involves mudslinging and moving legislation through Congress is increasingly difficult due to bipartisan battles. Politicians face multiple challenges throughout office---from navigating the art of negotiation, persuading fellow law makers, and trying to keep constituents satisfied. Indeed, in politics, one cannot always count on supporters to be "friends forever." Often, these friends could readily turn into enemies when the politician falls short of meeting political demands.

Keeping "friends" in politics is a difficult business as a politician. There are different interests to take into account when supporting or defeating certain pieces of legislation. Among these interests include the wishes of supporters, the greater good of society as a whole, gaining favor with other law makers, etc. A politician can never make everyone satisfied due to the various interests. Each interest group will attempt to push forward its agenda with the politician but not all will succeed. The politician, in essence, must continuously make cost-benefit calculations in deciding which interests to support.

In essence, certain supporters become disaffected when their representative fails to rally by their cause. For example, the Republican party experienced an upsurge in the far-right movement. The Tea Party, in particular, formed unity in its support of smaller government and significant cuts of social welfare programs. During GOP primary elections, Republican voters cast off the more moderate incumbents aside for Tea Party candidates. In a popular case, moderate incumbent senator Lisa Murkowski was rejected in favor of a Tea Party candidate. Indeed, her "friends" became her" enemies".

Some politicians' supporters have friends that remain friends and do not become enemies. This is in the case where supporters are loyal to the politician himself and not the political platform he represents. These loyal followers more than likely have personal connection with the politician. Supporters, however, who do not know the politician in person, however, are more likely to turn their back from the person in times of conflicting votes. Sometimes national crises may shift the political spectrum of the country as whole. People that normally vote for moderate candidates take a chance on more extreme positions. For example, the inability of the Democratic party to resolve high unemployment rates and calm national fears allowed far-right position to become palatable to many people. Indeed, the November mid-term elections resulted in an unprecedented victory for Tea Party Candidates.

Politicians can never trust that their supporters will always remain loyal. They have to continue to assess their constituency and make sure they adequately address their concerns. Indeed, the accusation of a politician being "out of touch" with his constituency has turned many friends into enemies.

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