“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”  Albert Einstein

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”  Albert Einstein

Our Nation faces serious challenges. 

On May 9, 2013, Doug Sosnik, the political director in Bill Clinton’s White House, wrote a memorandum titled, “America…Still Looking For Change That It Can Believe In.”  Sosnik states, “…as our difficulties have grown, our leaders and public institutions have proven ill-equipped to face the challenges in front of us.”*

“The Mood Of The Country: More Anxiety Than Hope” is one of the section headings of the memo.  In it Sosnik quotes President Obama: “…all too often the institutions that give structure to our society have, at times, betrayed your trust….”  Here is the President of the United States acknowledging that our trust has been violated…the President of the United States!  Is not the office of the Presidency one of the institutions that has betrayed our trust?  Couldn’t the same be said of Congress?  Sosnik goes on to emphasize: “The betrayal of the public’s trust has contaminated the country’s mood and is the dominant influence behind the current attitudes toward elected officials and institutions in our country.” 

Where might we go from here?  As Sosnik points out, “If the current group of politicians fails to act, we are likely headed for our fourth change election in the past eight years.”  In America We Have A Problem I wrote:

"Ahhhh, don’t we just love our two-party system!  The Democratic Party and the Republican Party provide such a lovely balance in our country and work so hard for “the American people.”  I am so glad that when the ruling party is failing us we can vote and bring the other party to power to rule over us.  Then if we become dissatisfied we can return the other party to power.  Then if we become dissatisfied we can return the other party to power…and so forth and so on".

So, we “are likely headed for another change election?”   How has that been working out for us?  Why should we think a fourth change election will result in credible change when the previous three have failed? 

However, there is hope!  Sosnik explains: “This absence of leadership has created a huge opportunity for someone who is currently outside the political process, as well as a third party to fill this vacuum in 2016, particularly if Hillary Clinton does not run.”  Here Sosnik, who POLITICO characterized as “one of the Democrats’ most veteran strategists,” is saying there is an opening for an independent or third party candidate to win the Presidency in 2016. 

Where should we go from here?  Will we finally break the cycle of insanity, vote differently, and achieve a different result?  We must, but will we?

* Sosnik, Doug.  “America…Still Looking For Change That It Can Believe In”  May 9, 2013.  Retrived from:

http://images.politico.com/global/2013/05/09/sosnik_memo_59_final.html