OpEd: Words...
A recent televised press briefing found Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, debating the meaning of the word “quagmire” with a CNN correspondent, who posed a question referencing the word in relation to our current situation in Iraq.
Instead of answering the question – yes or no – the Secretary of Defense sought to extoll his professorial knowledge in a ridiculous debate over the generally accepted meaning of the word. Ultimately the definition was conceded to the correspondent, after a dictionary was produced, and answered by the Secretary with a flat one-word answer, no.
This example is indicative of a misguided style that seems to permeate this administration, from Jr. at the top all the way down. The “I know better than you” style, while entertaining, is often a symptom of a deeper ill, that of one inclined to believe their own hype. At times laypersons may argue the merits of the perception vs. reality debate – is perception reality? – but this argument does not necessarily translate into votes. Let’s understand the situation: money garnered for electoral campaigns, opinion polls, and lack of opposition – all do not indicate a strong position.
If the 2000 Presidential election is any indication, it should be plainly clear to everyone that money spent on elections does not translate into votes. Based on the FEC website of money collected as of July of 2000, Jr. raised three times more money than Gore and did not win the popular vote. I will not get into the chaos of the Florida system, but suffice to say that if the supreme court had not voted to disenfranchise voters the current administration would be different.
The administration being what it is – and following its present course – one would get the idea that the American public supports it judging by the most recent Gallup poll following the State of the Nation, where the President received a 61% approval rating. While a sample of American households may be used for such a survey, the survey does not necessarily imply that said sample is representative of American households. According to the latest news on unemployment [its highest level in nine years], and other news stories of segments of the job market that no longer qualify for unemployment benefits and have discontinued their search for work [thus no longer counted in the unemployment numbers], one might get the idea that the “approval rating” from the “representative sample” in the Gallup poll is not necessarily representative.
More than representative samples, a distinct lack of voter initiative should be most telling of political power. When people have no choice of whom they support, the process has surely weakened. Judging by the opposition, namely the democrats, and their failure to define a position on many political iniciatives it becomes apparent that the biggest casualty of the current situation is real political choice. This lack of political alternatives could very easily translate into the appearance of political support.
The administration fails to take note of their real position of riding high on a wave of silence. Lack of political debate does not imply popular support. Donald Rumsfeld’s comments suggest a swagger that his fellow administrators don’t necessarily merit, and further indicate a gaping opportunity for a politician to offer the choice so desperately desired by a majority of voters.