If you want to put yourself and your profession
in the best possible position to win – today
and into the future – and if you are concerned
about the future of your profession and the
care your patients will receive, there are
several ways for you to manifest the best
possible outcome. The best way to predict
the future is to create it. The best way to do
that in politics is to become part of the
process. It’s not as hard as dental school or
running a practice, and you’ve already
accomplished those things.
By John Basial, Government Relations Coordinator
Many people see politics as something foreign
and strange. It’s like the movies. They watch
them and critique the actors and the plot
but they don’t really grasp how it all comes
together. When it comes down to actual
“rubber meets the road” political engagement,
most people aren’t participating. Some of
the more active citizens will keep abreast on
pending legislation and make a phone call
or send an email. An even smaller number
will support a favorite candidate with a
donation or attend a speech, but even they
are not maximizing their effectiveness.
You may have heard the quote, “All politics
is local.” It’s very true. The quote is from Tip
O’Neill, a former Speaker of the U.S. House
of Representatives. We all live locally, and the
people closest to us, including politicians,
have the most impact on our lives. Local
politicians can and often do grow up to be
national politicians. This is the natural
evolution of the American political dynamic.
There are of course notable exceptions,
including individuals from the military
(Ulysses S. Grant, Dwight Eisenhower),
sports (Jack Kemp, Bill Bradley),
entertainment (Al Franken, Arnold
Schwarzenegger), and business
(Donald Trump, Herbert Hoover) achieving
high office with little or no prior political
experience; but it’s still rare. The most
frequent occurrence is for individuals to
climb the ladder from school board to city
council to state legislature to Governor to
Senator to President of the United States.
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NOV E M B E R/DE CE M BER 2019 | P EN N S YLVA N IA D EN TA L J O UR NAL