Much of our reluctance I believe is due to the field of candidates we have to choose from. Looking at them and trying to measure their overall quality, one does not know whether to laugh or cry. On the Republican side, we have an old World War II veteran who has been in the Senate forever, a newspaper publisher with millions of dollars and only one idea, some true blue isolationists, and a few others looking for their 15 minutes of fame.
On the democratic side, we have the incumbent President as the only choice. President Bubba is running for re-election, wanting us to give him four more years to make the changes in government he believes need to be made. Or told what changes have to be made. It seems President Bubba cannot make a move or give a speech without talking to his consultants, listening to the latest focus groups, or reading the new poll in USA TODAY. Therein lies my problem.
Four years ago when Candidate Bubba first ran for President, I got excited about the possibility of his being elected. For the first time, someone my age, a genuine Baby Boomer was going to be President. At last, someone who loved Bobby Kennedy as much as I did would have the reins of power and finally bring peace and justice and equality the way we Baby Boomers always dreamed.
Except. Except he broke my heart. Many times. It seemed every time there was a crucial issue to be faced, he wobbled. President Bubba had a chance to allow gays and lesbians to serve freely and equally in the military; instead he caved and went with the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. He had a golden chance to finally give us a national health insurance that would give everyone a more secure future and came up with such a complex proposal that it died of its own weight. And as thousands of Bosnians were murdered by the Serbian military, Bubba fiddled for two years until he finally did the right thing to bring a ceasefire and a chance for peace to that troubled land.
Lately, we have discovered his true model for leadership is not Bobby but Trick Dick. Can you imagine if any of us had been subpoenaed to turn over some papers and it took us two years to find them and they turned up next to our bedroom that we would be believed! Once again, we have people in the White House who believe that they are "above the law." I don't believe there was any crime committed in Whitewater or Travelgate, but the appearance of scandal, the appearance of not being forthcoming and honest harms the President, harms the Democratic party (my party if you have not guessed by now), and harms the people's trust.
I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. For if you can only give a speech or pursue a policy because your polls or your staff tell you its a popular one right now, then how can you expect honesty and integrity to be a natural behavior? Maybe we expect too much. But I do expect more. Not always success with every policy and speech. Maybe I want what the ancient prophet wanted in the book of Micah. "He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what the Lord requires of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and walk humbly with your God." Justice, mercy, humility. That is all God wants from any of us. Just once, I would like to find it in a President.
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