Who Cares?

A topic covered on at least three cable news commentary programs Tuesday night was how the Iraq situation would harm the Republicans in elections to come. Does this seem backwards to anyone? It seems we are supposed to care first and foremost for our chosen political party, and hope the bad news doesn’t spoil their electoral success.

Call me crazy, but shouldn’t we care more about the bad news? As an American, a patriot, and a human being, I support whatever leaders can give us good government. I don’t care whether there is a “D” or an “R” or anything else next to their name. I generally support the Democrats at this moment in history because they are less corrupted than the other guys. Plus, their ideas are better.

If I woke up tomorrow and the Republicans were the party crusading for honest, accountable government, and calling for responsible, ethical military and foreign policy, I would vote for them. If George Bush reversed course and became a great president—or, let’s say, figured out a way to travel back in time and never choose to start this God-awful war—I would be delighted. I want a great president. I want a safe country, and a peaceful world. I don’t care what group of people delivers it. If the Republicans accomplished those things, I certainly wouldn’t care that it wasn’t my favorite team that did it.

But apparently, those are the priorities expected of us. If you are a Republican, you’re supposed to be sad that the war has cost your team some elections, and may cost more. You’re not supposed to be sad about the war itself. About Presidential dishonesty. About governmental corruption. About hundreds of thousands of innocent people dead. About 3,000 of our guys gone, 40,000 more maimed, and countless military families pressed to the breaking point. About actual terrorist threats left to simmer. About a mistake so grave—and tragically, so avoidable—it will darken and dominate global politics for a generation.

No, the talking heads—even the honorable ones—think we care more about rooting for our chosen political teams. I think they’re wrong. I think the average Republican loves his or her country more than some party organization. The average Democrat, too. How will the war affect the prospects of either party’s electoral success? Who the hell cares?

Back in the Saddle

Ah, peace. One month with no politics, no writing, no worrying about money and fear-mongering trumping democracy once again. For the first time since Shep was a pup, a national election managed to hold leaders accountable for corruption and incompetence. And now we’ve all had a little break to catch our collective breath. Yes, these post-election weeks have been a blessed respite.

It wasn’t all good, of course. Tammy Duckworth, the dynamic, decorated Iraq vet from Illinois sure would have made a powerful presence in Congress, but she lost in a squeaker to a young man who, despite having no military experience, attacked her relentlessly on the war and national security. Sigh.

And of course, let’s not forget the moderate Republicans—like Iowa’s Jim Leach, a truly good man and capable public servant—who went down through no fault of their own. As so often happens in politics, the extremists and thugs run the country into the ditch and let the honest public servants pay with their jobs. Sad.

But now it’s time to get to work. If this Congress is as dangerously negligent as the last, they will be just as deserving of ouster. They must lead now, boldly. And we must hold their feet to the fire.
So, one month later, I am back on the horse. The problems haven’t gone away, and neither have the responsibilities of citizenship. This will be an interesting year.