Writer Ferret at Large

I did something drastic this week. For the first time in my voting life, I am no longer a registered Republican. That’s right, I joined the big D when I updated my voter registration at the DMV. I have to admit, it feels weird to no longer be a “card carrying Republican” after being one since I was 18.

Times change, though, and people tend to change with them. The grand old party, the party of Ronald Reagan, can no longer adequately represent my interests. Of course, I’m not terribly sure the democrats will do any better and if truth be told I really wanted to register as an independent. However, because of California’s closed primaries I would not have been able to be adequately represented in the primaries as an independent so I held my nose and checked the democrat box.

In reality, I think none of the political parties are doing an adequate job. Democrats, once the bastion of the common man, now seem to be entirely too far left and are a haven for out of touch intellectuals who prefer to talk a problem to death. The GOP, once the party of the rich conservative, has turned into a far right haven for big government, big spender types who pay only a passing nod to civil rights and who often leap before they look.

I used to firmly identify as a Republican on several key points… points that at one time were linchpins of the party platform. These points included personal responsibility, smaller government and fiscal responsibility. My viewpoints haven’t changed that much, but the party has shifted well away from these middle of the road values in some sort of attempt to capture fringe voters of every ilk. The Democrats aren’t much better, but at least I can identify a little more closely with some of the compassionate conservatives within the party even if they don’t seem to be leading the parade right now.

Maybe it’s time to rework the whole American political process. The electoral college has already proved it’s inability to adequately represent the popular vote, disenfranchising a lot of people in the process. When a candidate wins a state, they win every single electoral vote in the state without any representation for the losing side. For example, California will most assuredly award all of her electoral votes to Kerry this year, even though a statistically significant number of Republicans will be voting for Bush. Kansas will go the other way, awarding her entire suite to Bush even though there are hundreds of thousands of Democrats voting otherwise.

This ties into our two party system as well, and makes it especially difficult to elect a viable third party candidate. The best a third party candidate can realistically hope for in this day and age is to play “spoiler” to the election, siphoning enough votes from one candidate to allow the other to win. This is widely suspected to be the case in the 2000 election, with Nader siphoning just enough votes to put Bush over the top in some key battlegrounds, giving him the entire electoral basket.

Neither party, in my opinion, adequately represents the hearts and minds of real American voters. On the contrary, most people I’ve talked to either voluntarily disenfranchise themselves (by abstaining from the voting process altogether) or end up holding their nose and voting for the least repugnant candidate, sometimes casting a protest vote against a candidate instead of being able to get behind a candidate they support. This all results in a feeling of disconnection from the political process, a feeling that not only are we not represented but we are actually marginalized and ignored in the process.

No, the present system is in dire need of a complete overhaul. We need a viable multi-party system that can adequately field candidates that truly represent American wishes and ideals. We need a direct popular vote for office instead of an antiquated electoral college that sometimes puts the loser of the popular vote into office. We need politicians that remember who they work for, what they are supposed to accomplish and have a firm commitment to at least attempting to do the right thing.

Most of all, we need fresh ideas, better answers and smarter leaders. The ones we have right now just aren’t cutting it.

It’s an election year. Our economy is still in the toilet. We’re bleeding jobs to overseas competitors. Unemployment is still rampant. Talk is circulating that the feds might start to raise interest rates. We’re still at war. We’ve just been caught abusing people in the custody of our government. At any time, some whacko could walk through the door with a bomb and it seems like half of us are constantly expecting it and on edge. Our own government is stripping away our rights and feeding in to the general fear and paranoia. All in all, it’s a rough time to be an American.

One of the lessons I’ve learned over the last several years is that nothing lasts. All this misery will eventually pass, and we will even out to something moderately acceptable. Good times don’t last, bad times don’t last, they all eventually move towards the center. Sometimes, though, it seems like the depths of the bad times reflect the peaks of the good times; we stoop lowest when we’ve soared the highest. Maybe this is some sort of grand balancing scheme, making sure our karma evens out in the end. One of the things that I always try to do is to pay careful attention to the undercurrents of society around me. As I’ve said many times before, I am a people watcher and an observer of life in general. I am also a person that can draw together a coherent pattern out of a seemingly unconnected series of events, clues or bits of information. This tendency has often frustrated my family when I can (at times) easily guess my Christmas or birthday presents, but it also allows me to paint a vivid picture based on nothing more than a set of feelings or vibes.

I usually can’t really put my finger on exactly what piece of information finally does it for me. I can’t usually tell you when I slip over the peak and suddenly just “know” something. It’s organic, the information sort of swirls and eddies around me, accreting slowly until suddenly there’s this gleaming pearl of understanding. I could no more explain how I do this to someone than a person could explain how they curl their tongue up. Either you can do it or you can’t, but you can’t ever really explain it. What I can tell you is that I’m starting to see the faint glimmerings of a pattern emerging from the chaos of daily life. I can’t quite put my finger on it yet, I can’t quite tell you exactly what it will end up being, but I can tell you that some order and regularity is poised to emerge. I get the general feeling that this order, this regularity, is a good thing. I feel like we’re about due for an evening out of the scales and the pendulum is making its way back to center. Lord knows we’re long overdue for it, and I’m hoping I’m seeing a true pattern emerging instead of just imposing my own wishes on a chaotic and depressing period of life.

Many things lead me to believe that what I’m seeing is real, that what I’m experiencing isn’t just imaginings and wishes. I see patterns in the way people talk to other people. I hear snippets of their conversations, see and feel the things they are concerned about, and get a little bit of insight into the concerns of their daily lives. I see patterns in the economy, in the seemingly random and unconnected bits of financial news that I glean from the newspapers every day. The job market is still sluggish, but it finally seems to have hit bottom and started working its way back up. People are caring more about world situations than seems normal for the last few years, they are paying a little less attention to their own personal misfortunes and focusing a little more energy on the inequities that exist on the world stage.

More and more people are asking pointed questions; they want to know they “why” behind situations instead of being quite so content to just go along with things. The American public is slow to rouse, slow to anger, and quick to forget but once they get lumbering in a certain direction they usually manage to change things. The trick lies in seeing which way they are heading and either running around in front to wave the baton or just simply in getting the hell out of their way.

It’s very fashionable now to prophesy doom and gloom; to loudly proclaim how our world is going straight to hell in a handbasket. I used to yell right alongside the doomsayers but I’m beginning to quiet down just a little. I’m beginning to hope just a little. I’m beginning to believe, just a little. I hope I’m not wrong.

The formal commission investigating the 9/11 tragedy has publicly stated they have found no link between Iraq, Saddam Hussein, Bin Laden and Al-Qaida. I never believed this link existed in the first place, and have gotten into far too many coffee shop arguments over it. Bush, however, has decried the findings of the panel and continues to assert this mysterious link. His reasoning for this is simple, yet strangely Orwellian. He asserts that the findings are wrong, there is a link because there is a link. He is blithely unencumbered with any need for facts, evidence or proof. The world according to Dubya is simple and straightforward. Too bad he lives in Bizarro world.

Now, I’m not sure if George had any logic classes while he was getting his Ivy League education. If he did, I think it’s probably pretty obvious that he didn’t absorb what they were trying to teach him. In my world, at least, you are required to prove your statements and if this link did, in fact exist, I would think Dubya would have been on the ball and up front in providing it as fast as he could. Instead, he prevaricated, he stonewalled the commission, he refused to supply information and documents when requested, and if by example if not in direct action he encouraged his cabinet to do the same.

Supporters of loathsome legislation such as the Patriot Act like to tell us “if you have nothing to hide you shouldn’t be worried” whenever we bring up concerns. This sort of reasoning is scary, dangerous, and easily turned on it’s head to be pointed right back at the people who are so fond of using it. In this case, if Bush had nothing to hide vis a vis the 9/11 disasters and the alleged Hussein/Bin Laden link you’d think he’d whip out all his proof and do everything he could to assist. If he did have something to hide, however, you’d expect him to stonewall, bluff, lie and put off investigators with technicalities and loopholes. Which behavior has he actually done? Hmmm….

I still maintain that the primary reason Bush went into Iraq to get Hussein was to get back at the man for thumbing his nose at his father. None of his publicly stated motives have stood up to close examination; no weapons of mass destruction have been found, no Al Qaida terror camps were rooted out, and no link between Hussein and Bin Laden has been proven. Hell, even Al Qaida has gone on record as stating this link doesn’t exist, and you’d think they would leap at the chance to thumb their nose at us and claim widespread backing and support if it existed.

Bush went in to satisfy a petty and vindictive grievance. He leapt at the chance to justify this invasion in the wake of a national disaster. He fomented hate and aggression, brainwashing gullible or naïve people all over the country into believing his propaganda. He never even finished the job he initially started in Afghanistan; Bin Laden is still at large, still at the helm of Al Qaida and I’m quite sure still plotting mischief, mayhem and destruction. If Bush had spent half as much effort rooting out Bin Laden as he did in finding and capturing Hussein this sad chapter in world history would be drawing to a close by now instead of being continually drug out.

I don’t fault the man for his initial handling of Afghanistan. It was far past time to clean up that pit of Taliban vipers, and the rest of the world agreed and backed our moves there. We went in cleanly, precisely and with clear moral superiority. We foundered, lost steam, and lost our direction rather quickly though, especially with splitting our forces between the real evil (Bin Laden) and a pain-in-the-ass despot and target of opportunity (Hussein). Yes, Hussein really did need to be called to task for his past evils and current behavior but it was neither our right nor our responsibility to do it the way we did it.

Bush is a very scary man. His actions and influences are insidious. He shrouds himself in false morality and artificial righteousness, while hiding the heart of a thug and a bully beneath a smooth and benign exterior. He has lied and manipulated situations and facts in order to fit his own worldview, conveniently discarding any truth which interferes with his own version of reality. If we continue to follow him, he will eventually lead us straight over the edge of a cliff and I for one am stopping before that fatal plummet. I hope you will too. I hope you all will help me send a resounding “You’re Fired!” his way.

There’s one man in Washington today that I truly feel sorry for, and that’s Colin Powell. He’s been forced to swallow his own pride and convictions in order to be a mouthpiece for an administration that has acted counter to his advice on numerous occasions. He’s been used shamelessly for his credibility and his acceptance among the American public and it’s got to be difficult for him. Colin Powell has proven that he is, if nothing else, a team player. He’s done his best to take one for the team time after time. He is one of the most loyal people in the administration and despite his own personal convictions he has upheld his responsibilities to back the current gang of thugs in the Whitehouse.

Colin Powell is a very smart man. He has a peculiar (and unfortunately rare) combination of intelligence, congeniality, conviction and morality. He’s a man that understands honor and understands the whole concept of “face” that so many people have discarded. He wears an aura of respectability about him wherever he goes. Every time I see him on some program mincing words with yet another talking head my respect grows for him another notch. He’s obviously struggling, trying to justify some recent bit of thuggery, and trying to lend his respectability and credibility to his boss out of nothing but an old-fashioned sense of American loyalty. Bush is a lucky man in the case of Colin Powell. He’s lucky to have the man’s loyalty in a time when cabinet members are deserting in droves to write their own tell-all books, dishing the inside dirt on the inner workings of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I’m quite sure this was a major factor in his appointment.

I was a machinist mate when I served in the Navy (bear with me a minute, I’m actually going somewhere with this segue). My job entailed working on piping systems, valves, seawater and steam piping, pumps, turbines and other assorted bits of machinery involving the nuclear power plant as well as the secondary system. One of the things that I learned was the concept of a “sacrificial anode”, a piece of metal that we would install in various places that would corrode first. These anodes were basically chunks of zinc or other metals, bolted to various parts of the hull, seawater tanks, piping systems, etc. These metal plates would offset the natural galvanic corrosion in the system, corroding instead of the metal of the hull, tanks or piping. Once they were used up we’d throw them away and bolt in new ones, constantly consuming them to save the rest of the system. The big pieces of machinery, the piping, the tanks, and the pumps were the public face and got all the credit but in reality it was the decidedly unsexy sacrificial anodes that kept the systems from crumbling into ruin.

Colin Powell is Bush’s sacrificial anode. Bush is eating up Powell’s credibility and respectability in order to save his own reputation. As time passes, I feel like I can actually see Powell withering away, slowly being consumed by the constant abuse of his loyalty and respectability. I once used to think Powell would make a damned fine president and I would’ve been proud to vote for him but I am beginning to realize that I probably will never get the chance; Bush will consume him completely, wringing every last drop of loyalty and respect out of the man before discarding him and bolting a new anode onto his political machine. The sad thing about the situation is that the very qualities that make Powell respectable and admirable are the ones that are, in my opinion, leading to his demise. Powell cannot abandon Bush. His own personal code of ethics prevents that. His only hope is for Bush to get canned and thrown out of office before he manages to completely destroy all of his remaining credibility. The catch-22 of the situation is that Powell will probably do everything in his power in order to maintain the very situation that is leading to his own downfall and in reality he can’t act differently. Acting to subvert Bush would be completely counter to his nature, his personality and his personal code of honor.

Only we can help people like Colin Powell. Luckily we have a very powerful weapon at our disposal; we have the ballot box. If you respect and admire Colin Powell, if you worry that his honor is being sacrificed to justify the actions of a man who isn’t worth of the gifts he’s being given then I urge you to take these convictions with you into the voting booth on election day. Let your own conscience, your own sense of fair play and your own personal honor be your guide.

The Gipper is dead. It’s a sad day in the golden age of America that he so fervently believed in. One of my heroes, arguably one of the better presidents to ever grace the oval office, is gone and I can’t help but be sad.

When people find out I’m a registered Republican I’m usually met with a lot of disbelief. Most people who know me well enough to know many of my core beliefs do not believe that I am one and they think I’m pulling their leg. In truth, I’m not the type of Republican that our party represents today. I became politically aware during the Carter/Reagan years and I still identify myself most strongly with the convictions and the beliefs of Reagan.

When I identify myself as a Republican, I’m more accurately a “Reagan Republican” because I believe in America, I believe in freedom, I believe in patriotism and I believe that hard times call for hard choices. I cannot stomach the policies of today’s Republican party though, who seem hell bent on taking away personal freedoms, centralizing and aggregating power and protecting their own self-interests over everything else while shrouding themselves in false patriotism and false morality.

Ronald Reagan was the type of Republican that made me proud to be one also. Yes, Reagan made some bad decisions and I don’t pretend to think everything he did was golden. However, in the balance of things, the good he did in my mind far outweighs the bad . Unlike the Republicans of today who go out of their way to embarrass me or make me ashamed, the Gipper hewed to an ideology of sincerity, compassion, dignity and respect. He was ironwilled in his convictions, yet oh so human in his connections with his fellow man. Reagan was one of the most popular presidents of our time. He’s ranked right up there in the top 10 or 15 presidents ever, depending on which survey you read. That’s pretty impressive, considering the amount of contention around the man and how many people claim to hate him. For the most part, even the people that disagreed with his politics respected him. With his passing, a lot of dignity has gone out of the political scene and we’re poorer for it.

I once got into a discussion, almost an argument, with my Political Science professor over Reagan once. I made the casual offhand remark that Reagan wrote a lot of his own speeches. Professor Wright pounced on me, telling me I was wrong, and basically insinuating that I was crazy for even thinking such a thing let alone stating it. He did not believe me, even when I mentioned a book of his speeches I have called “In His Own Hand” and went on to poke fun at my expense a few times.

Well, much is being made today in the news (both television and print) about Reagan and his prolific speechwriting. Many people have mentioned how he wrote many of his own speeches, how he was a masterful writer and a prolific letter writer. Stories are being circulated about him throwing out or changing speeches at the last minute. I’d like to take a minute here to simply say to my professor, “Hah! In your face!” I hope he’s watching some of these news shows and thinking to himself “Man, I owe Gary an apology” but in reality I doubt if he is. I don’t think I’m quite that memorable.

Many people are aware that the Gipper was known as “The Great Communicator” but they also think he got this nickname just from his talent for public speaking. His ability to be at ease while speaking to millions of people was legendary, but his ability to write clearly and concisely about his thoughts are nothing short of phenomenal. The book of speeches that I have is a fascinating read because you can clearly see how his thoughts developed about policies. The book is basically just a collection of photocopied speeches and essays he wrote, replete with crossouts, corrections and rewordings. Anyone who understands and appreciates the subtle differences in phrasing and word choices can go through and see how words do in fact mean things and can appreciate the true beauty and artistry that can exist in our language when wielded by a master.

President Reagan has left on his next journey. His long sunset is over, but I’d like to think he left behind an America worthy of his legacy. I’d like to see someone in office, be they Democrat or Republican, worthy of inheriting his vision of a “morning in America.” We need a good old fashioned dose of optimism and belief in ourselves, we need the sunny days he so fervently believed in. Mr. President, I’m hoping you’ll look down on us from time to time and put in a good word with the big guy. We’re counting on you.

Goodbye, Mr. President, and thank you.