WHERE ARE THE “BUSY” PEOPLE?

by Steve Fair

Why do people get involved in party politics? There are several reasons. First, most get involved because of issues. Perhaps they are passionate concerning the abortion issue and believe life begins at conception. After careful study of both major party platforms, they discover the Republican Party is pro-life and the Democratic Party is pro-choice. They align themselves with their convictions and become involved with the Republicans. Some have gotten involved in politics after having an experience with governmental red tape on a fiscal issue. Because of that experience, they read the party platforms and find that Republicans believe in less government and Democrats more government. Because of their experience they are motivated to become active politically.

Another reason people get involved in party politics is purely the social aspect. Their close circles of friends are political activists. They enjoy the camaraderie and the social aspect of politics. A third reason people get involved in politics is because they are political animals. These are the political junkies. They are consumed with politics. They cannot carry on a normal conversation without politics being mentioned. No matter, their party affiliation, these political types are rarely effective. Because their lives are so one-dimensional, they fail to see anything else but politics. They believe they are an expert on every political issue and interject their opinion at every opportunity.

The fourth group that get involved in politics are the opportunists. These are the volunteers that decide to “invest” in a campaign or get involved with the party in hopes of getting a job after the election. Elected officials and parties need staff and usually the first place they look is in the ranks of loyal supporters. There is nothing inherently evil or wrong with that so long as both parties understand that upfront. That communication can avoid hurt feelings, anger, disappointment, and resentment when they are not hired. This group is almost always exclusively young people.

And then there is the group that is involved because they want to change government. Those in this group may be influenced secondarily by one of the factors listed above, but their primary motivation is they want to move government- one direction or the other. This group is dedicated to their cause. They don’t just work on election years. They don’t just show up a party meeting or a campaign rally once a quarter. This group is faithful. This group doesn’t quit when they lose an election. They view their political involvement as a journey, not a destination. They don’t retire from political involvement. They give money sacrificially to the cause. They don’t take a year off to rest. They don’t complain about other people’s lack of involvement, because they seldom notice other’s disinterest in their cause. They are too busy trying to accomplish the goal to worry about anyone else’s involvement. They are team players. They check their egos at the door. They focus on the future and not on past failures. They support candidates they don’t personally care for because they agree with them on the issues. They base their support of candidates on verifiable track records and not sound bites, clever slogans, or the candidate’s word. They are skeptical and require documentation. They are focused, dedicated and multi-dimensional. Their lives are busy. They are usually the leaders in their church, a civic club, have demanding jobs and are juggling responsibilities at home. Even though they are busy, they consider their political involvement an essential part of who they are. Don’t confuse this group with the political animals mentioned earlier. The people in this group find the political animals to be too philosophical. This group craves action. They are strategists. They are in it for the long haul. You can usually see members of this rare group at a multitude of functions in town. They are busy people. They are high-achievers- self motivated individuals with a desire to make a difference for their kids and grandkids. Since government is, "by the people, of the people, for the people," we are all part of government, but this group is the “by” group.

The great evangelist Dwight L. Moody during his first visit to Britain heard the words that set him hungering and thirsting after a deeper Christian experience and which marked a new era in his life. Mr. Henry Varley, the well-known evangelist, spoke the words to him as they sat together on a seat in a public park in Dublin. The words were these: "The world has yet to see what God will do with and for and through and in and by the man who is fully consecrated to Him." Those words inspired a shoe salesman to shake the world for God. Would to God, talented, busy, multi-dimensional people who don’t have time would get involved in their government.