It seems as if the Democratic Party office holders and leadership have taken on a new sport. I am referring to the sport of “spelunking.” Based on the public record, not only are the Democrats exploring caves, they are also creating them. They are “caving.”
Caving, according to Webster’s dictionary, is the act of “hollowing out” and apparently this activity has an infectious quality such that it influences speech, principles and political actions.
When the Democrats are confronted with difficult decisions, they revert to their new sport and go caving.
The most recent example of a prominent Democrat engaging in his new sport is the president and his “insurance companies, I love you” address before a joint session of Congress shortly after Labor Day. Barack Obama campaigned on reforming the health care system and on a number of occasions, both pre- and postelection, he acknowledged that a single-payer system would be the best way to go. As the health care debate heated up this past spring, the president backed off single-payer in favor of a “public option.”
As pejorative labels were flung at him, Obama changed his mantra from health care reform to health insurance reform, a significant change. And now, a careful examination of his speech on the Hill reveals that he has given up on the public option and seems to be leaning toward the “trigger.” (If the insurance industry doesn’t shape up over the next four years, then a government insurance plan will be implemented.)
Putting all the eggs, once again, in the insurance and pharmaceutical industry’s basket is more of the same. Neither of these industries is in the business of health care. They are corporations whose primary allegiance is to the stockholders and owners. Therefore, profit comes first and then maybe consideration can be given to providing care for the insured.
So, when faced with the choice of standing up for his principles and delivering on his promises, the president engaged in sports, went spelunking and caved. Obama had lots of modeling to emulate in perfecting his athletic prowess.
In 2006 the Democratic Party ran on an “out of Iraq” platform. It can be safely argued that it was precisely this stance that yielded majorities in both houses of Congress. This was a major victory. However, once safely ensconced in their well-furnished offices on the Hill, they became agitated, worked off their energy by spelunking, and in the face of having to vote against funding the war in Iraq, caved — repeatedly.
In 2004, John Kerry had the opportunity to carry the nation as an anti-war candidate (which of course was the principled stance that originally thrust him onto the national scene and paved the way for his political career). However, he took his “marching orders” from the Democratic Leadership Council and was forbidden to mention the war. They instructed him in spelunking and he dutifully caved.
Just one more example: In the “election” of 2000, Vice President Al Gore had won the popular vote and was in a position to win the presidency had he requested a full recount of the Florida vote. For some nontransparent reason he asked for recounts of some counties. (A full recount, subsequently documented by a group of journalists, would have revealed that he won the state and the presidency.) However, Gore went spelunking and caved.
It seems that these politicians are not only hollowing out caves, they are in that process of hollowing out themselves, becoming bereft of principles and commitments.
Between now and the 2010 elections is an opportune time for third parties and independents to join together, to bask in the sunlight, to reaffirm the principles of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, to challenge the Democratic-Republican stranglehold on electoral politics, to support candidates for office and commence the political revolution.
Herbert J. Hoffman of Ogunquit is a retired psychologist. He was an independent candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2008.