petermarcus (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
petermarcus) wrote2001-08-21 07:30 pm
petermarcus) wrote2001-08-21 07:30 pm
Buh-bye
For every political party in the US, there is its idealism. For its idealism, there is a fringe spokesperson who inexplicably comes to some measure of power, to the great embarrassment of the moderate elements, primarily because the opposing party gets a lot of cheap ammunition.
For the Democrats, that person may currently be Ted Kennedy. For the Libertarians, that person is Lyndon LaRouche. For the Republicans, that person is Jesse Helms, who will announce tomorrow that he won't seek re-election.
Helms was the ideal fringe character for conservatism, the one opposing fringe characters would point at and shout, "That buffoon there is the embodiment of the opposition." He endorsed ideals generally supported by the rank-and-file, yet blew them all out of proportion with the worst grasp of PR since Clinton listened to David Kendall. An example: Should the federal government spend taxpayer dollars to support art not ever seen by the majority of the people? For his argument against, Helms picks out Mapplethorpe (IMHO, an artist talented enough to break through without government assistance or political controversy). Helms forever destroyed an honest political issue with many pros and cons on either side by turning it into a morality debate.
In an ironic turnabout common in politics, he was roundly, vocally hated by fringe and mainstream liberals, though their argument to ignore or block Helms was that the man so roundly, vocally hated. And yet, of the people who actually met him, many would like him. Bono Vox, of U2, is a personal friend.
Buh-Bye, Jesse. You always tried to do the right thing, even if the reasons were wrong. Or, perhaps, even if the right thing was only a figment of an ideal in your own mind.
For the Democrats, that person may currently be Ted Kennedy. For the Libertarians, that person is Lyndon LaRouche. For the Republicans, that person is Jesse Helms, who will announce tomorrow that he won't seek re-election.
Helms was the ideal fringe character for conservatism, the one opposing fringe characters would point at and shout, "That buffoon there is the embodiment of the opposition." He endorsed ideals generally supported by the rank-and-file, yet blew them all out of proportion with the worst grasp of PR since Clinton listened to David Kendall. An example: Should the federal government spend taxpayer dollars to support art not ever seen by the majority of the people? For his argument against, Helms picks out Mapplethorpe (IMHO, an artist talented enough to break through without government assistance or political controversy). Helms forever destroyed an honest political issue with many pros and cons on either side by turning it into a morality debate.
In an ironic turnabout common in politics, he was roundly, vocally hated by fringe and mainstream liberals, though their argument to ignore or block Helms was that the man so roundly, vocally hated. And yet, of the people who actually met him, many would like him. Bono Vox, of U2, is a personal friend.
Buh-Bye, Jesse. You always tried to do the right thing, even if the reasons were wrong. Or, perhaps, even if the right thing was only a figment of an ideal in your own mind.
no subject
I think that about sums it up perfectly.