A political discussion between Red State conservative Dave Simpson – a former reporter, editor, publisher and columnist – and Greg Bean, Blue Stater and executive editor of GreaterMedia Newspapers. Let us know what you think.
Dear Greg:
What can football great Mike Ditka teach us about politics, you might ask?
Well, I’ll tell you what he can teach us about politics. I saw him on television this past weekend and they wanted to know what he thought about the people running for president.
Apparently the blanket, 24-hour, allelection all-the-time news coverage has now exhausted every politician and smug pundit under the sun, and now they’re turning to ex-football coaches for comments. Actually, Ditka was a logical choice, because he thought about running against your guy Barack back in 2004 for a Senate seat.
And, as it turns out, he had something interesting to say. Iron Mike patiently explained that we have “checks and balances” in this country- kind of like he had to deal with his nemesis Buddy Ryan back in 1985 – and regardless of what these jokers say about solving all our problems, it ain’t that easy.
It was kind of like going back to civics class, Greg, as Da Coach explained that we have three branches of government. (Who’d a thunk it?) And, just because a president wants “change,” and national health insurance, and a lot of other swell stuff, there’s also this thing called Congress, and specifically, the U.S. Senate, where it takes 60 votes just to decide to go to lunch. (Garrison Keillor once said the Senate is like a bus on which every passenger has his own brake pedal.)
In those circumstances, change can be about as easy as giving dry birth to a porcupine.
So, Da Coach, who took a lot of blows to the head during his career, nevertheless has a better grasp on this than most of us, especially when it comes to howlikely these “changes” actually are. By comparison, most of us in the media talk about these candidates “running the economy” and turning Washington on its head as if we were electing a dictator for life, or an emperor, not a mere president.
Like herpes, it’s a tougher problemthan they let on, and just as stubborn. For example, as far as I can see, there’s no known cure for earmarked pork, regardless ofwhat these flimflam artists say at election time.
The good news is that the systemis powerful enough to survive any president, even Jimmy Carter. (Remember him?) IronMike doesn’t seemto be losing any sleep over any of this, and neither should we.
I predict the sun will come up the day after the election, even if Hillary is elected.
In closing this week, Greg, I must respond to your request last week that I “eat crow” over Rudy’s departure from the campaign. What can I say, Greg? That dog wouldn’t hunt. I’mdisappointed, and now I have to go out in the cold and scrape his bumper sticker off my van.
Given enough time, these people will all break your heart. So bring on the crow, pal, and if you don’t mind, I’d like mine with a littleWorcestershire sauce.
Whatever happens, you’ll be joiningme, sooner or later.
Count on it, Red State Dave
Dear Dave:
You know, a few hours before the Super Bowl, I was listening to a couple of political talking heads on another channel and they were so desperate to generate interest in what they were saying, their whole conversation was dedicated to trying to find a way to liken the Super Bowl to the presidential primaries.
These political hacks talking about football is the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen, I thought tomyself. Then, awhile later, there was IronMike talking about politicians and I realized that no matter how weird things are, they can always get weirder. You know what Hunter Thompson said about that: “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” But I agree with your basic premise. Whatever ailmentsDitka suffers as a result of his football career, it isn’t brain damage from getting his noggin whacked around. He made more sense than almost any pundit or prognosticator I’ve heard expounding over the course of the entire primary season. I also agree with your contention (I’m so agreeable today that I keep expecting a piano to drop out of the sky to spoil my agreeableness by squashing me like a doodlebug) that no matter which party the president comes from, he or she is not always able to initiate that much change alone. There are three branches of government and between them they can make it painful to birth those porcupines you were talking about.
There’s nothing more frustrating to watch than a president from one party trying to pass initiatives when the Congress is full of members of the other party. It’s like playing football without a helmet against the entire defensive line of the New York Giants. After a dozen or so plays you’re singing “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” as you lurch around, dodging all the stars floating in front of your eyes. Next thing you know, you’ve planted your face in the ground and you’re picking blades of artificial turf frombetween what’s left of your teeth.
There’s something happening these days that might make the birthing process a mite less prickly for the next president, however, if that president is a Democrat.As you know, the Dems now enjoy a slightmajority in theU.S.House and Senate, but because so many incumbent Republicans have seen the writing on the wall and say they won’t seek additional terms, that slightmajoritymight transmogriphy into a mass of congressional votes that would allow a Democratic president to get things done. And if that president is the kind of person who can also spark the hope, imagination and support of the public, great things can happen. Lots of folk think Obama might be the man to make that kind of magic.
I’ve noticed a new spring in my step recently and I realize it’s becausemy sense of idealism, which had the dog slobber knocked out of it by Shrub, et al., is coming out of hibernation. I think we’ll do better than survive, Dave. I think we’ll thrive.
On to November,
Blue State Greg
You can reach Greg Bean at gbean @gmnews. com. Dave Simpson can be reached at [email protected].