The scene is set for an interesting year in the political arena. The recent primaries have shown us that the race for our next president is still in the air. And we as Virginians will have our own input on the process on Feb. 12 during the Virginia primaries.

In the end, will we see Clinton running against Giuliani? Or will it be Obama versus Huckabee? Or will Ron Paul get his fair share of coverage and become a viable option? Just to throw in a quick plug—check out Web sites and YouTube links related to this Paul guy. He could be the same run-of-the-mill politician, but then again, there could be more to him.

As this election unfolds, I am convinced that the parties do not matter any more. Every year, politicians spend millions of dollars trying to prove how different they are from the other guys. Each one says they are the candidate of change. Once elected, we may see a minor change here and there, but the grand picture changes very little. Why do I think that the parties don’t matter any more? Because the candidates are willing to polarize any issue to separate them from the pack. And here is the catch—this polarization takes place even within the parties.

We have all seen the way candidates disparage members of their own party to better themselves and win the nomination. The sacred union of each party is thrown to the wind for the purpose of self-gain. The sad thing is that these are all smart people. However, rather than attempting to sit at the table from the beginning and working out solutions, they banter about how different and better their personal ideas are.

Then once a candidate emerges at the top, the angry rhetoric goes out the window. After months of beating up their fellow party members, Democrats and Republicans alike all of the sudden have overwhelming support and praise for their nominated candidate. Across the board, the once incompetent, ill-prepared, bumbling politician becomes the way of the future and America’s unquestionable choice for President. It gives us a bad example of how we should express ourselves and treat others.

This treatment and inane banter transcends the political labels of conservative and liberal. As someone who leans more to the left, it was always easy for me to point the finger at the Republicans. I looked to the likes of Rush Limbaugh as a scapegoat. And then I was introduced to Randi Rhodes.

One of the reasons I subscribed to XM Satellite Radio was because it carried Air America, a channel that promised “compelling, entertaining, progressive talk radio.” I looked forward to hearing an alternative to the likes of Limbaugh and his conservative talk show clones. I eagerly tuned to Rhodes’ show in the afternoon and was saddened to hear the same arrogance and bitterness with little substance coming from the left. While I agreed with Rhodes much more than Limbaugh, I was deeply saddened to hear her carrying on as if she were the Limbaugh for liberals. It occurred to me that my disdain for Limbaugh had much more to do with his delivery than his views. I wish it were a “conservative” thing, but Rhodes proves it’s not—she spouts the same venom using liberal ideas and language. I would not look forward to a dialogue with Rhodes for the same reason I would not want to sit down with Limbaugh.

Could it be possible for politicians to work together and treat each other with respect even as they compete for the same position? Limbaugh and Rhodes wouldn’t like this because they would lose a lot of fodder for their bitter monologues and bullying sessions with their call-ins.

So the question turns more personal. Chances are that neither you, I, nor anyone will get the degrading bitter dialogue stopped among the bitter political elites. But we can choose to ignore it. We can pledge to enter into all dialogue with a respectful, unselfish tone. Unfortunately, we do not have political leaders who will lead by example.

Rick Robers teaches middle school English in the New River Valley.