Repackaging the Message

As a result of the 2010 census, many congressional districts have been redrawn.  This often is an event that is met with a certain amount of antipathy by voters and seated members of congress.  For voters who suddenly find themselves in a new district represented by a person they neither know nor like, the solution seems apparent: Vote for someone familiar who shares their sentiments at the next election.
For the politician, the problem is more complicated.  In the state of Washington there are at least two congresspeople from different parties who share a common trait and problem.  Both are moderate and both were redistricted. While they carry different political banners, they are very ideologically similar and often vote in a way that does not toe their party line.  Such political figures never fail to gain my admiration because they seem to have convictions.  Now, I feel sorry for both of them because they will be facing elections in their new district.
These principled people share the common need to quickly learn their new constituencies and rebrand themselves to maximize their appeals. Politics is, essentially, a marketing project.  So, it becomes apparent that if you are going to sell a product called Congressman Jones, his workers need to understand the market and how to reach it.  If it were me, marketing Congressman Jones, I would look very closely at the census results. The new district has new cities and suburbs. What is the median age? Do people go to polls or vote by mail? Do people go to churches, mosques, synagogues, or sports bars? What is the average income? What is the poverty rate? How do the economic trends vary in different neighborhoods? What is the divorce rate? How many schools are there? What is the biggest employer? What is the crime rate? How many people speak a foreign language as the primary language in their home? These are the kinds of questions that should be asked city by city.  Based on the answers to these questions, campaign handlers get a feel for the advertising that might work best in different areas.  Clearly, one message does not fit all cities and it is good to know this because it is a winning idea to design more than one advertising product.
But, if Congressman Jones really wants to get a feel for the new constituents a more humanistic approach is needed.  He needs to pick up the local newspapers and read the letters to the editors everyday for a month. After 30 days of that, hang out quietly at the local Walmart or grocery.  Dress down, put on a baseball hat and glasses, and silently walk the aisles. Look at the faces of children.  Look at the weathered hands of the working men and the threadbare coats of young mothers.  Look at the food in the carts. Look at the movies and music and magazines that people buy. Really look into the eyes of the senior citizen who is subsisting on 89-cent bread so that she can buy her prescription, too. These are the real constituents.  Eventually, we all show up to buy something to eat.
Indeed, the voters appear as clean and factual statistics; but voters also are real people who sometimes appear to be at their very worst in public. So, Congressman Jones (and you too, Congressmen Black, White, Brown, and Green), when you recraft your message, please remember... The best advertising you could ever do would demonstrate that you are compassionately aware of the fact that we are all as human as you are and that we all just want to eat and go home to people who love us at the end of the day.  Find a way to help us with that and you will win anywhere you stand.

Out to Pasture

The state of Washington is a land of extremes and double-speak.  In the rain shadow (actually a "sunny place") of the Cascade mountain range, the east side of the state spreads out like a sparsely populated patchwork quilt of farms, vineyards, orchards, and arid plains. The west side of the Cascades was best categorized by a local radio station's "give us a slogan" winner which said: "Living in Seattle is like being married to a beautiful woman who is always sick." The west's lush greenery (visible in sunlight for an average of 93 minutes per year) is the natural by-product of relentless drizzle and environmental protection born of man's inability to construct roads and houses on land that is as wet and cold as a sponge left in yesterday's dishwater.
Just about half of the state's population lives in three counties that rim the Puget Sound and they are unequivocally ruled by the Democratic Party. Though the east side of the state has a much greater land mass and a more right-leaning philosophy, the west side sends their left-leaning picks to the Senate each election cycle. One of the winners of the lifelong term award (since 1992) is Senator Patty Murray. In keeping with the passive-aggressive nature of western Washington, Murray has worked tirelessly throughout her career to not offend most people.  She has taken just enough of a stand on social and liberal issues to maintain her re-election coffers. At the same time, (to her credit) she championed the health care causes of veterans and made sure those "itchy fingers" of the far right stayed closer to the metaphorical safety and not the trigger. Over the years, Murray's longevity and party loyalty has won her prominence in the other Washington; and, in August 2011 she was tapped to co-chair the debt reduction super committee. This symbolic 12-member panel was created after the debt-ceiling showdown threatened to shut down the federal government. The committee was charged with the unenviable task of creating $1.5 trillion deficit reduction plan before automatic cuts took effect. Whether the answer to the problem was solved by generating cuts, taxes, or both, the panel was to formulate a strategy that the broader government could implement. Upon the date of deadline, Murray's super committee produced a whopping...
Nothing. Zilch. Zero. Not a thing except a statement of blame aimed at the other party, rich Americans, and the George Bush tax cuts.  Murray reportedly told CNN's "State of the Union":
"There is one sticking divide, and that is the issue of what I call shared sacrifice, where everybody contributes in a very challenging time for our country... That's the Bush tax cuts. In making sure that any kind of package includes everybody coming to the table and the wealthiest of Americans, those who earn over a million dollars every year, have to share, too. And that line in the sand, we haven't seen any Republicans willing to cross yet."
So, let's dissect this statement.  (sic) "We are politicians and it is our job to talk about problems and come up with collective decisions based on our superior ability to negotiate and reason. However, after several months, we failed to do our job because we drew an imaginary line and demanded that the folks on the other side of this discussion jump over it." Way to negotiate, Team Nada.
As long as everyone in the nation's capital are more interested in protecting their moss-covered posteriors than in working for the collective good, nothing will get done. Regardless of party affiliation, our elected officials seem to be playing at work. Perhaps this can be taken in an economic context.  After all, we are still suffering in the throws of the Great Recession.  Even though the unemployment rate reportedly decreased in December 2011, over eight percent of the workforce is temporarily sidelined while a quiet army of people equaling approximately ten percent of the potential workforce either took early retirement, went to school, or just quit looking for a job. Who in the world would want to be thrust out of office and into such a daunting job market? Obviously a person who knows no life outside of granite columns would fare poorly in an economic climate of low-wage, low-skilled jobs that require real people to do real work. Without re-election, they would have to join the early retirement crowd.
Many Americans would like to see their current stock of leaders in retirement.  By all appearances, many politicians already have given up working and have opted for weeks of restfully laying about like obstructive road humps. This practice is periodically punctuated by moments of excited finger-pointing and squeals of "your fault!" which can hardly be defined as "work."
It is 2012.  A new election cycle looms large on the horizon. I think it is time for voters to overturn that dusty, old box that we call Congress and dislodge its useless cargo.

Goon Squad

All this talk about the transgressions of a particular state official with a gun problem caused me to recall several other things that I have read about sociopathy and the crimes of other politicians.
One such item appeared in Harper's Magazine in 2007.  In Ken Silverstein's "Congress: The most dangerous neighborhood in America" (http://harpers.org/archive/2007/09/hbc-90001300), he drew a snarky parallel between crime rates in the neighborhoods of Anacostia, and South Bronx and Congress.  Without having precise data regarding the actual perpetrators of crimes and individual perpetrators, Silverstein unscientifically determined that the percentage of criminals per capita in each of the aforementioned neighborhoods was three percent and less than one percent respectively, while the crime rate in the Congressional population was mathematically calculated to be eight percent.
That I can write those words without exclamation points speaks tomes about (the fact that I'm either really jaded or) the pervasiveness of criminal activity perpetrated by people in positions of trust. We are annoyed, but not surprised that people who took oaths to uphold the laws of their states and of the nation do neither.  Politicians lie all of the time and why should we expect the oath of office to be any different? Each election cycle we choose "between the lesser of two evils" when selecting a representative.  We ponder which person might be more effective at serving our districts while at the same time we know very well that we really don't trust what the campaigns or advertising said.  Since most of us don't have a personal relationship with the person we elect, it's a crap shoot.  So, no one is surprised when the person who got into office reveals that she or he is without a conscience.
Authorities on the subject of antisocial behavior say sociopaths make up approximately one percent of the total population.  The psychologist's reference,  the DSM-IV, provides the following definition for Antisocial Personality Disorder:

"Individuals with an Antisocial Personality Disorder show a lack of concern toward the expectations and rules of society and usually frequently become involved in at least minor violations of the rules of society and the rights of others...  As an adult, the person often commits acts that are against the law and/or fails to live up to the requirements of a job, financial responsibility, or parenting responsibilities. They tend to have difficulty sustaining a long term marital relationship and frequently are involved in alcohol and drug abuse." (http://www.accg.net/antisocial.htm)

I am not an authority on sociopaths, but I understand the problem is more prevalent in males. Sociopaths tend to be charming, likable, and of above-average intelligence.  They also may be self-absorbed, unable to bond with people, and have "grandiose expressions of their own importance." I'm sure that there are probably varying degrees of severity of symptoms that have some correlation with childhood experiences.

Do any of these traits remind other people of any political figures?  I can think of about ten right away.  Some are nationally known, while others are just local power mongers. Public service can attract some very good and sincere people who want nothing more than to leave the world in a better condition.  But, politics also attracts the antisocial personality.  In fact, the political stage is perfect for charming, smart people who think a bit too highly of their worth. Perhaps this is why Congress had a disproportionate number of miscreants in 2006.

Political Wilderness in the Wild West

Once upon a time, yours truly lived in the community of Lake Los Angeles.  The community is situated in California's High Desert in the northeast corner of Los Angeles County, astride two postal zip codes belonging to the larger cities of Lancaster and Palmdale. Consequently, this quirky little town didn't really have it's own name and the only lake it ever had was a developer's disaster that held water only in El Nino years.
When I got there in the late 1980's, the area was populated primarily by aerospace workers who were drawn by the promise of clean air, low crime rates, and affordable housing. Suspending reality, newcomers ignored the fact that hospitals, department stores, and supermarkets were 20 miles away.  We ignored the Mohave green rattle snakes, scorpions, and vinegaroons that crawled through the cat door.  We weren't consciously aware of the facts that you could cook bacon on the dashboard of your car in the summer and that pipes would explode in the icy fist of a winter night. The stark buttes had a certain moon-like beauty that whispered "peace" to folks that had never lived there for more than a fortnight.
So, it took a special kind of person to want to call the high desert home.  Disney had a horse ranch there. It was a carrot, onion, alfalfa, and garlic growers' Mecca. Car ranchers had room to collect their broken down trophies. Folks who favored larger pets found precious room to let them run. Far from the distractions of tinseled Hollywood, theaters, beaches, and great halls of learning, it screams: "Rugged Individual!" For better or worse, inhabitants embrace that "ism" with a sense of personal pride. In the past 20 years, the area has endured rampant job losses and two housing crises that gave it the distinction of being the nation's foreclosure capital. But, the tough folks still hang in there.
Not surprisingly, the area has elected some pretty interesting characters over the years.  For example, "William J. "Pete" Knight once was the mayor of Palmdale who later became a state assemblyman and senator.  Pete was a combat pilot and a test pilot who still holds the title of "world's fastest man" for his flight in the X-15A-2. Pete was a man's man: Small in stature, bigger than life, a chain-smoking party animal, who favored younger women and tasteless jokes. He was as politically incorrect as a person could be; and yet, his electorate loved him.
So, it comes as no surprise that brand-loyal, conservative voters of the 36th Assembly District would hang hope on Pete's son, Stephen Knight.  Steve is a high school graduate (no college) who served in the Army (Germany), and became a (gun-toting) police officer. Like his dad, Steve is a Republican, but dad was a different brand of conservative.  Dad was hugely disagreeable to social liberals, but he was effective.  Alas, the hapless voters of the desert seem to not have picked up on the fact that Steve is not his father.  Perhaps because the Republican party is now the party of "No", Steve could be California's go-to guy.  In the 115 assembly votes that transpired between 2009 and 2011, Knight voted "Nay" 104 times.  He voted "Yes" only nine times and "No vote" twice. That's a big thumbs down for budgets, sales tax, women's health, children, transportation, civil liberties, campaign finance, election reform, emergency measures, worker protection, and the environment.  Steve has presented somewhere between 40 and 50 pieces of legislation during his tenure in the assembly and boasts an 85% failure rate for passage.  Two of his measures were actually vetoed.  Many died at the desk or were pulled by the author before they could be debated. What kind of record is that?
In a place that embraces being able to "know where people stand" the official of choice is a man who stands for nothing.  Strange but true.
So it appears that the Republican party, often blamed for inaction in Washington, D.C., arises from the far-away sands of places like California. Surely the younger Knight could have a long and ridiculously useless career in this party. He could boldly cross his arms, plant his feet, and say "Nay" to all things that might hint of kindness, ethics, help, hope, and a door into a fruitful future.  This is not our fathers' Republican party.

Political Microcosms

All politics is essentially a reflection of the surrounding environment.  All politicians are reflections of their environment (and genetics, but that's a matter for a future post).  All humans who do not have a self-loathing relationship with themselves often favor people who either look like them or who share their values.
There is no better example of environmentalism in politics than can be found in Southern California where rural and suburban assemblymen still pack pistols as if waiting for the next onslaught of banditos. Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, (R) Twin Peaks (located in the 59th state assembly district governing a portion of the San Bernardino Valley 35 miles east of Los Angeles) was stopped for carrying a Colt .45 as he attempted to board an airplane in Ontario, CA on his way to the state capitol for an assembly session.  The esteemed assemblyman reportedly has no permit to carry a weapon.
Donnelly claimed the incident was "a mistake" and that he had received death threats following his launching of support for a referendum that would overturn the Dream Act, a law that provides state aid for the college expenses of undocumented immigrants. This is also the same man who founded the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps of California, an organization that patrolled the state's border with Mexico to discourage illegal immigration. I feel confident that if we probed his voting record in the state assembly we could find all sorts of reasons for people to dislike him.
While the assemblyman may have good reason for packing heat, it is still illegal to do so unless some sanctioned police authority provides permission. But, clearly a vigilante like Donnelly doesn't need to consult such authority figures. He makes his own rules and has the audacity to believe that he can take his gun where ever he wants to whether it is Twin Peaks, an airport, or the state capitol.
Here is the point of this rant... No matter how wacky this looks to me, a majority of voters in the 59th assembly district elected him BECAUSE THEY CAN RELATE TO HIM.  This indicates that the voters are (1) afraid of immigrants, (2) feel they can take the law into their own hands, and (3) scoff at real authority figures who are supposed to protect them from people who can violate their person or property. The same folks who elected this character are now doing fist bumps in San Bernardino diners in support of "their man Donnelly" and their way of life.
How can this mentality from a by-gone era still be thriving so close to the glittery, urbane streets of Los Angeles?
We'll explore the possible answers to this question in due time.