Long before Election Day, our two eternal political parties begin their plans for victory celebrations. An occasional third party has hopes of winning every half-century or so and an array of miniscule interests also spurs challengers.
During their vote count, party faithful suffer agony knowing their ignoramus and disloyal opponents with shadowy backgrounds are in contention with their patriotic and pure paragons of virtue holding the gates against the hellions of darkness, not the saints characterized by their rivals.
Now, mesmerized by approaching Election Day, both parties, faced by unavoidable truth, must begin some process of compromise, even though they hate the very word.
For weeks, they assure voters of their steadfastness of loyalty to the just cause, recorded somewhere, sometime, somehow, someplace and forever.
Finally, with a burst of sorrow and expressing the greatest degree of suffering and remorse, they begin a chat with unworthy rivals.
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Meanwhile, the American public, totally engrossed in sports and shows, is only marginally aware of the titanic drama and struggle, only wondering why things don't seem to get done as promised.
Finally, when all parties agree that they have maximized all benefits from stonewalling, some progress actually commences.
Suddenly, a breakthrough: a one-week extension of a tiny part of the budget, about one-millionth of its total wordage.
Nevertheless, from small acorns, mighty oaks grow, but it may take years of sloppy mess. Question: How are sausages (laws) made?
You don't want to know: Messy! Dirty, grimy and grubby, etc.
The author is a Duluth resident.
