A State in Search of a Statesman

Ideology, the enemy of practicality, will always be with us but nowadays it is stalking the land. Data, information, studies and the like are analyzed with Procrustean logic, joined with heartfelt beliefs and conclusions are hammered into place. Contradictions are burned like heretics, certain analysts are placed on The Index and uncertainty is bridged by revelation and faith. Political advisers comb through focus groups for positive and negative phrases and speakers repeat them like a chant or mantra in any speech or interview.

Years ago the first President Bush promised "no new taxes." When the Iraqis invaded their neighbors, the Kuwaitis, and threatened the Saudi oilfields President Bush created an alliance of world leaders and nations that hated each other, attacked and defeated the fourth largest army in the world in days with casualties limited virtually to vehicular accidents then mercifully stopped the combat when the Iraqis fled home. To pay for this unplanned event, he raised taxes. He was immediately vilified, his previous supporters ran a third party candidate against him who had never been in politics who won 18% of the vote--virtually all from Bush supporters--and allowed Clinton, an unknown, to be elected with a rare and low plurality. The angry voters felt vindicated--until the Clintons emerged as their worst nightmare and they suffered with them for two terms.

We now face a conflict between what some believe we should do with government and what some believe we can afford. This debate will not involve specifics. Indeed there has not been a budget submitted for the country in two years except for Obama's budget earlier this year which was voted down 97-0. What will be debated is the cost of corporate jets, the cost of the President's holidays and the possible change in interest rates if the opponent does not yield on his position. If the opponent does yield, it will be the defining slogan of the campaign next year.

Problems are important in this great nation only when they become politically useful.