Don’t Hold Your Breath

(image found here)

Growing up, my mom was a Libertarian, and being a child, I pretty much followed her lead. Being a Libertarian means never having to say you’re sorry for what the current administration is doing, because the current administration is never going to be comprised of Libertarians. It also meant that I was raised with a large dose of cynicism about politics and politicians. Always told to follow the money, because that’s what makes politicians tick, even if their ideals are high, the reality is that they need money to run election and re-election campaigns. So if you want your favorite politician to be in office, to do some good, you have to accept that along the way, they will have to pander to the masses, and that they will be pandering to money. I think we all want Mr. Smith, someone who stands up and says what they think and stands for it, but the reality is that that doesn’t seem to fly for very long. Look at McCain. He had that reputation, and the Republicans beat the hell out of him, and now he toes the line.

I am old enough to (vaguely) remember Watergate, and I certainly remember the impression that Jimmy Carter’s presidency was ineffective and stymied. I remember the hope that came to our country along with Reagan (not that I felt one way or the other about it, I was not terribly political, 14, and inclined to distrust all politicians, but the feeling was still there for many people). And then in ’92, along came Bill Clinton. By that time, I had given up on the Libertarians, and was a full fledged Democrat, though I still didn’t trust any of them. I had quite a few friends at that point who were really hopeful with Mr. Clinton, that he would somehow be different, that he would be able to change the way politics work in Washington (I don’t know why they would have thought that, since he was a consummate politician, but nonetheless, they did.) I wanted to feel that way. I wanted to believe in a politician, for the first time in my life. Remember how he campaigned on helping bring more equity to gays in the military? And then when he got into office, he got pretty much slammed by congress, and he caved quite quickly, and one of his campaign promises turned into the disastrous Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Right then, I knew my gut had been right, that politicians will be what they are, will do what it is they do, and to expect differently from them is akin to expecting that fabled scorpion not to sting you half way across the river.

I was reminded of this yesterday, reading a story about how the Democrats are hoping to end Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell if Obama wins the presidency, and even, perhaps, if McCain wins.  I think repealing this stupid policy would be a great thing.  The idea that our soldiers are so inept that they can’t handle being around another soldier if they know he or she is gay is preposterous.  Both Great Britain and Israel allow gays in their militaries, and I haven’t seen them falling apart at the seams or suffering from morale problems because of it.  We’ve lost so many qualified soldiers due to this policy, people who were willing and able to serve their country.  Translators who could have helped to fight the war on terror, but were discharged because they were gay.  It’s stupid.

But you know what?  I’m not getting my hopes up.  Because while I do truly believe that Obama will be a MUCH better president than McCain would, I still think of him as a politician.  Which is good, because that’s what he is.  He will still have to pander, to bow to interests, to compromise even if he doesn’t want to.  That’s the job description.  God knows, I would love to be wrong about this, and for him to truly be different.  I would love for him to get in there, with the help of a newly empowered and effective Congress, and fix some of the wrongs in our country.  To end the war.  To repeal those laws that are stripping our civil liberties.  To strengthen the Constitution again.  I want all of that, quite badly, and I hope very much that Obama will be able to pull it off.  All of it.

But I’m not holding my breath.