The Right Question

The election is over.
Agree or disagree with the results, we are left, as a nation, to find our way forward.
To rebuild an economy so those who are still without jobs find meaningful work which pay enough to support families.
To help those whose homes and livelihoods were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy get back on their feet again.
To care for seniors.
To support education. 
You know and can name the challenges as well as I can.

What I found myself thinking about as the election was drawing to a close was prompted by a campaign sign I saw when I was running one day. The sign featured the candidates name and then this slogan: Fighting for Taxpayers. 
“Wait,” I thought.
“That is not what not what I want my elected officials focusing on.  I want our leaders to be focusing on what is best for our nation. If the only frame of references is taxes then we will continue to focus on cutting taxes at the expense of some of the other things on the list with which I began. Taxes may be one item on that list of what is important, but so are schools and so is infrastructure.

And all of this reminded me of one of my favorite quotes:
     “If they get you asking the wrong questions they don’t have to worry about
     the answers.”  
Could it be that one of the reasons we are in the mess we are in is we have been asking the wrong questions?  
And, that what is needed…
What we need our elected leadership to do…
Is to forget the talking points memo and the niche issues and focus on asking the right question which has something to do with what is best for our nation.  
Not what is best for me.
Not what is best for those who fund my campaign.
Not what is best for those who elected me.
But, what is best for our NATION.

I live with no illusions about this.
The way forward will be messy and complicated. 
But, the other option is to keep doing what we are doing and expect things to be different which is, according to Einstein, the definition of insanity.