Politicians Are Treating America Like a Side Chick : And The Public Is Finally Catching On

Let's be honest about what we're watching here. For decades, politicians have been running the same tired playbook on the American people, and it's starting to look suspiciously like the behavior of someone who keeps you on the back burner while they chase after their real priorities.

You know the type. They blow up your phone during election season with sweet promises and grand declarations of love. They show up at your door with flowers (campaign rallies), tell you exactly what you want to hear, and swear this time will be different. Then, the moment they get what they want: your vote: they're suddenly too busy to return your calls.

Sound familiar?

The Courting Phase: All Charm, No Substance

Every two to four years, America gets the full courtship treatment. Politicians transform into the most attentive, passionate suitors you've ever seen. They're everywhere: town halls, factory visits, diners, your social media feeds: promising to fix everything that's wrong in your life.

"I'll bring back manufacturing jobs!" "Healthcare for everyone!" "Your kids will have better schools!" "I'll drain the swamp!"

The promises flow like cheap wine at a college party. They study your concerns, memorize your pain points, and craft their pickup lines accordingly. Rural voters get farm subsidies. Urban voters get infrastructure promises. Suburban voters get school funding pledges.

But here's where it gets interesting. Just like that charming person who disappears after they get what they want, these politicians have a pattern. They're not actually interested in a committed relationship with America. They're interested in power, influence, and the perks that come with the office.

The Disappearing Act: When Politicians Ghost America

Remember how quickly your phone stopped ringing after Election Day? That's not an accident. That's the moment politicians reveal their true priorities, and spoiler alert: it's not you.

Within weeks of taking office, the campaign websites get archived. The voter outreach teams get reassigned. The passionate speeches about "fighting for working families" get replaced with committee meetings about appropriations bills that somehow benefit everyone except working families.

Take healthcare, for example. During campaign season, every politician becomes a passionate advocate for affordable healthcare. They'll tell you they'll fight the insurance companies, lower prescription drug costs, and make sure everyone gets covered. Fast forward six months into their term, and suddenly they're having lunch with pharmaceutical lobbyists and health insurance executives, discussing "realistic approaches" and "market-based solutions."

The pattern is so predictable it's almost insulting. Campaign season: "I'll take on the special interests!" First year in office: "Let me introduce you to my good friends at the special interest reception."

The Real Relationship: Follow the Money

While politicians are treating America like a side chick, they're in a very committed relationship with someone else entirely: their real benefactors. The ones writing the big checks, hosting the fundraising dinners, and ensuring their campaigns stay funded.

These aren't individual voters scraping together $25 donations. These are corporations, trade associations, and wealthy donors who expect results for their investment. And they get them.

The pharmaceutical industry doesn't donate millions to politicians for the warm fuzzy feeling. Defense contractors don't host fundraising galas out of patriotic duty. Wall Street doesn't wine and dine senators because they enjoy the conversation.

They do it because it works. While you're still waiting for that callback about infrastructure improvements in your district, ExxonMobil is getting their call returned about oil drilling permits. While you're wondering why your student loan forgiveness got "delayed," Citibank is getting regulatory relief passed through a midnight amendment.

This is why politicians treat America like a side chick: because America isn't their primary relationship. The voters are the backup plan, the safety net, the ones who'll always be there every election cycle no matter how badly they've been treated.

The Panic Button: When the Public Starts Paying Attention

Both parties have developed a sixth sense for when the American public starts catching on to the game. It's like that moment when someone realizes they're being played: there's a distinct shift in the energy, and suddenly the person who was ignoring you starts paying attention again.

You can see it happening in real time. Approval ratings start dropping. Town halls get heated. Social media mentions turn sour. Suddenly, politicians remember they have a relationship with America that needs some maintenance.

This is when you get the panic responses: sudden policy reversals, emergency press conferences about "listening to the people," and a flurry of activity designed to make it look like they're actually working on your behalf.

Remember the 2008 financial crisis? Politicians were perfectly happy to ignore growing problems in the housing market and banking sector right up until the moment it all collapsed. Then suddenly, everyone was a crusader for financial reform and accountability. Of course, by 2010, most of those same politicians were back to taking donations from the banking industry and watering down the reforms.

The same pattern played out with the 2016 election. Both parties were completely blindsided by the level of anger and frustration among voters. They'd been so busy managing their real relationships: with donors, lobbyists, and special interests: that they'd completely lost touch with the mood of the country.

The Enablers: Why the System Keeps Working

Here's the uncomfortable truth: this dysfunctional relationship continues because, just like in real life, there are enablers keeping it going. The American political system has created an environment where treating voters like a side chick is not only possible but profitable.

The media plays a role by treating politics like entertainment rather than accountability journalism. Cable news networks make more money from political drama than from substantive policy coverage. It's easier to fill 24 hours of programming with Twitter feuds and scandal coverage than with deep dives into how legislation actually affects people's lives.

Lobbyists and special interests actively encourage this behavior by making it more rewarding for politicians to focus on their needs than on constituent services. Why spend time in town halls getting yelled at by frustrated voters when you can attend a comfortable fundraising dinner with people who appreciate your work?

The electoral system itself enables this behavior through gerrymandering, which makes most seats "safe" for one party or the other. When politicians don't have to worry about serious competition, they don't have to worry as much about keeping voters happy. They just have to avoid major scandals and keep the money flowing.

The Wake-Up Call: America Deserves Better

The good news is that more Americans are recognizing the pattern. Social media has made it harder for politicians to hide their real priorities. Voting records, donation sources, and lobbying connections are more transparent than ever before.

Voters are getting tired of being treated like the backup option. They're demanding more than campaign promises and photo ops. They want actual results, genuine accountability, and politicians who remember who they work for once the election is over.

This is why you're seeing more primary challenges, more grassroots candidates, and more political outsiders gaining traction. People are fed up with the traditional playbook and are looking for representatives who will actually represent them, not just use them for votes while maintaining their real relationships with special interests.

The question is whether this awareness will translate into lasting change or whether American voters will keep falling for the same routine every election cycle. Because as long as politicians can get away with treating America like a side chick, they'll keep doing it.

Maybe it's time for America to demand better. After all, we're supposed to be the ones in charge here.

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Randy Dinwiddie is a guest contributor for Amerishop Services and writes about politics, business, and consumer advocacy from Chicago.