President Barack Obama introduces a jobs bill. Republicans point out its flaws while Democrats tout the necessity for action. The left calls for higher taxes on the wealthy. The right responds by defending millionaires as “job creators”—even though they haven’t been doing a great deal of job creation lately.

Reflexive politics we can understand, perhaps even forgive. After all, as organizations the Republican and Democratic parties exist to win seats, not necessarily to advance the district, state or country and their interests. Besides, to win a nomination from either, a candidate must appeal to the basest base, those with narrow world views and uncompromising attitudes.

Sometimes it’s funny—in a sad kind of way—to weigh either camp’s logic.

Last week, Herman Cain finally dismantled logic and cast it aside. “I don’t have the facts to back this up,” he said on a talk show, “but...”

What followed hardly matters, for Cain has finally freed us from the burden of proof. In this new era, politicians can charge their opponents with all manner of foul deeds—without the time and expense of, say, photographs proving the existence of weapons of mass destruction or graphics showing how fracking turns tap water into a toxic soup.

Come to think of it, the Cain philosophy could be applied to just about any aspect of life. Imagine Kimball High students acing every class simply by jotting “I don’t have the facts to back this up, but Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing was loosely based on Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs” on a literature test or “I don’t have the facts to back this up, but metamorphic rocks are created at night” on a geology quiz.

The old “permanent record” could be cleaned up with a simple explanation—as in “I don’t have the facts to back this up, Mr. Hanks, but the teacher just sent me to your office so we could hang and talk about the Huskers.”

Not that we’ve ever been wedded to fact as a culture. Abraham Lincoln first earned national attention by challenging President James K. Polk’s assertion that American soldiers on American soil were fired upon, justifying an invasion of Mexico.

“On what spot of American soil?” Lincoln asked in Congress, seeking proof. In the 1950s, Joe McCarthy rose to prominence by accusing just about anyone of ties to Communism. By the 2000s, John Kyl (R-Arizona) could issue inaccurate comments about Planned Parenthood, secured by a pat defense (“not intended to be a factual statement”) and the support of voters who care more about their side of an issue than adherence to truth and reality.

Such is the state of our democracy.

Most of us, for example, would prefer lower taxes and less government spending. But we also want bridges repaired (America’s infrastructure is on the verge of tatters), better education for our children, a secure border, a strong military, safer air travel, incentives to keep industry or professional sports franchises in our communities, clear air, non-toxic water, listeria-free food and so on. It’s a problem that can’t be solved by simplistic Tea Party/Occupy Wall Street slogans or the usual “it’s [insert either Bush or Obama here]’s fault” game.

In a very real sense, we are all—rich, poor and middle class—involved in whatever crisis the nation finds itself in. We can whine (as I’ve just been doing) about party politics and Congressional inaction, but in a democracy, the buck eventually stops at our doorsteps.

And we like to pass it.

Remember the “term limits” movement back in the 1990s? Concerned citizens began demanding that elected officials step down after one or two terms in office. Some states even entered the idea into law. Yet we’ve always had the ability to limit a politician’s time in charge, though a little device called the “vote.”

Pass the buck.

We created the current political environment. And, for some reason, we refuse to put a stop to its insanity. Fiscal conservatives happily allowed the Bush administration to erase the surplus built up during the 90s economic boom. Political liberals happily allowed Nancy Pelosi’s Congress to target pet issues rather than address real problems.

Maybe we’re amused by the low comedy high jinx afforded by the likes of Palin, Biden and Cain. Maybe we’re just not paying attention. But something is wrong with us, the electorate, when we allow Cain to get away with his recent preface.

I don’t care if you support a candidate or despise the same, they should never be given carte blanche to say anything, regardless of evidence...although, come to think of it, my job becomes so much more fun in such a world.

Let’s see...I don’t have the facts to back this up, but Kimball’s mayor, James Schnell, receives a number of perks for his civic duties, including $4 footlongs at Subway and unlimited use of the city’s spa and sauna facilities.

I don’t have the facts to back this up, but Kimball’s new economic development director is banking everything on a “We’re like a whole other Sidney” advertising campaign.

Really, it’s not all that funny when we, as voters, allow our politicians—even those we support—to get away with such statements. Instead of just falling in behind party lines, it’s time that we stand up and demand straight, realistic accounts from those in charge. And it’s time we accept reality ourselves.

Maybe then we can work our way out of this mess.