Throwing the Candidate Out With the Bath Water June 25
Barack Obama’s recent decisions to chuck public campaign financing and support the FISA capitulation bill angered many, including me. And, his explanations for both were weak and far short of his promise to change government.
I wasn’t tremendously offended by his decision on campaign financing. The decision wasn’t wrong in the technical sense. The system is broken and it does make more sense to raise funds himself - especially since he’s proved he can. But for many, the issue wasn’t the funding source so much as his breaking a “promise”. Not withstanding, his chief antagonist - Walnuts McCain - has backed away from a similar promise and is crowding the legal foul line as he also games the system. His disingenuous flap-jawing about Obama is encouraged by the reluctance of many to point out his little flaw.
Joining the Pusillanimous Democrats
The Obaminator’sTM support of the new FISA bill is more troubling. By joining the pusillanimous democrats, he’s adding to the constitutional carnage The VetoerTM has already inflicted. Barak’s amends for such a poor decision doesn’t hold much water either. Yes, immunity for the telecoms is galling and encourages them to cooperate with extra-legal government requests, but it pales in comparison to the constitutional dangers the evolving FISA bill pays forward. It’s nice that he plans to work for the removal of the immunity provision, but that’s pissing into the strong wind of constitutional outrage. The time to oppose immunity was before the bill passed on. Given his and his colleagues’ fraidy cat natures, I doubt much will change in the current version before it escapes to George’s crayons for signature. It seems there’s no surfeit of political courage these days and Barack jumped on the crapulent bandwagon with these decisions.
However, Obie’s missteps highlight one of the core problems of why our government works - or more correctly - doesn’t work.
Change is a vexing thing for any organization, especially one as big and complex as government. Not only is it near-impossible to whip the dinosaur’s ass into action, leaders have to constantly fight for possession of the stick. If there was such a thing as a truly off-the-record conversation our would-be president might admit that FISA is a pox on our nation’s house. He’d admit that he had to hold his nose to vote for the abomination. He might even admit that he’d like to roll the bill into a paper-cutting ball and shove it where the Texan’s sun don’t shine. I’m sure he’d tell you letting telecoms off the hook is a travesty he’d just as soon not abet. But off-the-record is a place politicians can’t go without mortally wounding themselves - and by extension - the country.
The embarrassing truth is that no candidate from any party can win by single constituencies alone. They need to placate a whole galaxy of voters who are zealous to a fault. This is partially why the republicans are in such a pickle today. By allowing ditsy constituencies like Dobson and the rest of his odious ilk to take the reins of power, they lost the trust of the majority who are nothing like him. By allowing corporations to buy legislation, they’ve lost every shred of trust - and dignity - they ever had. It’s hard out there for a vote pimp so I don’t expect anyone will cure Congress of its many ills because we ensure failure. Each voter has their own crusades - those positions they refuse to compromise in the slightest. One could argue that principles are paramount and only truth holds sway. But compromise has to carry the day and compromise is a one-size-fits-all condition that fits everyone after a fashion, but no one well. There is no way for any politician to vote as you want all the time.
The Crapinator’s Ironic Twist
In a sadly ironic twist, the Crapinator-in-Chief wasn’t far off the mark with his joke about dictatorships being easier to govern as long as you’re the one running them. Any time you get people involved, everything goes to hell in a hand-basket…fast.
The trick is to balance what and how much you’re willing to compromise across many different issues and then pick the candidate who’ll best adhere to your choices. Choosing a candidate who happens to lose the primaries is something you must deal with logically and dispassionately. You can send a signal by voting elsewhere, but chances are that elsewhere may be even worse than the candidate you’re running from. You can choose a candidate based on a single issue, but a laser-like focus on it to the exclusion of all other issues will lead you to a decision that discounts the 90% agreement you have on your other issues.
Most people think politicians do a pitiable job at conforming to our nebulous will - usually because the public rarely ever knows what it wants. They’re right, after a fashion, but they’re making a demand that will never be satisfied. Is Obama the man? Maybe, maybe not. Is McCain the guy? In my opinion, no, but plenty of others think he is. People want a candidate that exactly matches the template for the fine, upstanding, wise, and courageous politician they envision. There’s only one problem with that wishful thinking…
It just ain’t gonna happen.
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daveawayfromhome Jun 25
I’m beginning to think that we’ve made a mistake in expecting our leaders, or at least our legislators, to be upstanding men of virtue and principle. Now I’m thinking that while that might be an okay thing for the president, it may a bad thing for a legislator. What we need, at least in congress, are weasels, Yankee Traders willing to wheel and deal in order to get things done. How much trouble has been caused by Republicans who’ve been “acting on principles”?
No, the true believers need to be the members of the Media, our supposed Fourth Estate. Imagine what things might be like here in America today if our legislators were willing to make compromises and change directions based on expedience, and our press took seriously its function of keeping those legislators honest, never wavering in their principles and integrity.
daveawayfromhome’s last blog post..holy crap!
bradda Jun 27
Obama pissed me off something fierce with his backing of the FISA bill. Dodd should back him into a corner and give him an earful. Sadly, with George Carlin’s demise we are left with his take on politicians and our state of affairs. “If you have a selfish, ignorant electorate, you will be left with selfish, ignorant politicians.” RIP George and the Constitution!
bradda’s last blog post..McCain: Old. Crippled. Ready.