Unlike the crystal-clear mobile connection in the famous Verizon ad, it seems the phone line between politicians and the American public is broken. As Election Day exit polls showed, voters are more frustrated, more disappointed, and more discouraged than ever. And it's easy to see why. Most contests were heavy on showmanship and gotcha moments and light on common sense solutions and leadership.
And sadly, we don't need a Nate Silver model to know with 100% certainty that the election results will only worsen the vast disconnect between policymakers and the public.
As the dust settles, politicians, pundits and press secretaries will continue to interpret and spin the results in a way that serves their own agendas. They'll talk about waves and repudiation. Midterm turnout versus general election demographics. And what it all means for 2016.
There will be a brief season of bipartisan photo ops and lip service, but little of the media analysis and subsequent action in Washington will center on what most voters really want - their leaders working together to get some basic, important things done.
Things that a supermajority believe in, like family friendly workplace policies, balanced budgets, investments in infrastructure, more local control, and increased national service opportunities. In poll after poll in the last ten years, 70% or more of us are in agreement on these and other issues. But election after election, nothing gets done on these consensus issues.
It's time for the supermajority to fix the phone line and make our voices heard in a bigger, broader and more passionate way. It's time for us to demand that our leaders listen and act on big issues of consensus. That's the mission of a new online community a few of us recently founded in a coffee shop on South Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas. It's called ListenTo.Us.
Through ListenTo.Us, we hope to build momentum and a create movement that reflects the consensus that already exists across the country. Until enough of us band together and express with conviction that a supermajority demands a different way, the partisan divisions will ignore the consensus and continue the finger-pointing and political food fight.
So if you are tired of a lack of common sense leadership, leaders putting party over country, and little getting done on the big consensus issues, join with us at ListenTo.Us. Sign up on our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter (@ListenToUs2014) or engage on the ListenTo.Us website. And then share with your friends across the country. Help us build a movement of Americans who share similar values and desire change from the status quo which would be a big step to make leaders listen.
Election Day once again showed that our political system is broken - voters went to the polls, sent a message, and then leaders will in the days and months ahead ignore what the public was trying to tell them. Let's stop talking about the problem and arguing over process, and start proceeding on getting the job done.
And if enough of us in an authentic way lead our leaders by showing the broad agreement on some key needs and solutions, then maybe we won't have to dial up office holders and ask "Can you hear us now?" Because the voices will be strong and loud and clear. ListenTo.Us might give us way leaders will start listening to all of us.
There you have it.