Futility

I just finished readin Nicholson Baker's Checkpoint. It wasn't much, just 128 pages, and frankly I wasn't all that impressed. It was, for the most part, a long rant without any corroboration or supporting reference. I'm pretty familiar with the "butcher's bill" levied against this administration, so there wasn't anything new or shocking. Moreover, whatever shock value might have been derived from the one character's stated intent to kill the president came across more as the raving of someone who was a beer short of a six-pack, rather than someone who was genuinely brought to that depth by something resembling despair. In such a short time, it was hard to draw any conclusion from the character other than he was just fundamentally bat-shit crazy. Honestly, I feel termendous futility regarding the administration. The premise of the novel, that this futility leads to thoughts of violence is sort of silly, or, at least, ridiculous enough that it sort of causes the particulars of the novel to pale in comparison. So, the premise of the novel makes the content of the text, the list of offenses done by this administration, fade into the background.

And oh what a list it is. I honestly cannot think of anything that was done by this administration that produced a positive result. In some ways it is impressive, George W. Bush has invalidated the idea that even a blind squirrel will occasionally find nuts. This squirrel has found nothing and is proudly touting the fact.

But I've moved beyond anger and despair at the actions and arrogance of this administration. For nine months I viewed them with bemused contempt. After 9/11 I was prepared to give them a chance to lead, but they managed to even more arrogantly bungle everything they touched. Bemused contempt changed to angry contempt. The particulars were there for all to see. An economy, that regardless of the numbers, was not serving anyone with less than $100K per year income. A "war on terror" that was abandoned in Afghanistan before it was concluded. A second "war on terror" that was begun on evidence that was either specious or manufactured, and likely was known to be so. This second war resulted in an objective positive, the removal of a very bad guy, but at the cost of 1000 American lives and uncounted Iraqi ones. Furthermore, the ultimate price tag of that war will not be wholly known for years. The scandals of Enron, Adelphia and MCI. The utterly corrupt Medicare bill, corrupt in debate (muzzled evidence), corrupt in passing (strongarm tactics against fellow Republicans). Nothing, nothing at all has been done with even marginal competence by this administration.

But, you know what? I've ceased being angry. You know why? Because no one is listening. Because a good 40% of the electorate will vote for this man regardless of the circumstances. That means that Kerry has to collect around five of every six available votes, and that's simply too tall an order. I genuinely believe Bush's base will vote for him no matter what happens, and I think I have good reason. He's abandoned all the precepts of conservatism, as least as I know it. Our government has bloated, not shrunk. He has spoken words about securing the nation but has committed neither time nor political capital to causing real reform (unless bloating the government by creating the mostly impotent Homeland Security Department counts). He has carried out ill-conceived war plans that have killed American soldiers needlessly. He has impugned the patriotism of good, brave men like Max Cleland and John Kerry His credentials as a conservative are arguably worse than Bill Clinton's, yet his base is still rock solid. This fact is prima facie evidence that Bush's conservative base will not leave him. If they haven't by now, they ain't gonna.

When 40% of the electorate are willing to compromise their own stated beliefs about what government is and how it works, then the burden of blame shifts from the betrayers to the betrayed. The electorate have abandoned reasoned, responsible voting in favor of knee-jerk selection of a man because he was put forth as a standard bearer for his party. It is as near a cult of personality as has been seen in this country in its history. Bush's base have ceased being good citizens and have become nothing more than easily led sheep.

In channel surfing this weekend, I caught a moment of "Meet the Press" where Tim Russert's guest stated that the anger and disbelief that Democrats are feeling is the mirror image of what the Republicans were feeling during the Clinton years. I beg to differ. The anger the Republicans felt was based in part on Clinton's infidelity, in part on his being a member of the baby boom sixties generation and in part on his dissembling about Monica Lewinsky. There were even some who believed him to be a rapist and perhaps a murderer. These latter allegations are baseless of course, but even if they were true, let us be clear. These would be crimes committed by a man against another human. The crimes of this administration have been lies and dissembling writ large, crimes against the nation as a whole. And do not feed me some crap about Clinton's lies eroding the nation's moral fiber - the lies of Dubya were at least as noxious to the shared belief that is our country as anything Clinton even allegedly did.

Despite all this, despite every little thing, despite the utter failure of this presidency, 40% of th electorate will vote for him. It is an act of wilful blindness that may be the most criminal act of all.