A Kwanzaa folktale explains our present political attitude. The tale based in African folklore is about a very charismatic man who has a way about him. When he is around, everyone seems to forget their troubles. He gives off a pleasing vibe. He is the local politician. He speaks in such a caring and loving manner. His eyes are warm, his smile sincere. He is indeed sincere. His heart is in the right place, and everyone knows it. He means well and often does good for everyone.
But like every man, every human, he is flawed. He does things sometimes that make everyone so mad, they swear they’ll never believe a word he says again or vote for him. And when he realizes he’s been found out, caught with his hand in the cookie jar so to speak, he cries real tears and feels so ashamed of himself. He can’t blame anyone for never trusting him again. He sniffs and walks away with head hung low. He knows he’s done wrong and nobody wants him around anymore. He banishes himself.
Months later he returns to the people, and if you can believe it, they’ve forgotten all about why they were mad at him in the first place. Collectively they feel they were a little too hard on him because seeing him after all this time makes them feel … so very happy. And because they’ve forgotten the rotten thing and things he’s done—in the past—they’ve forgiven him, too. The politician smiles beautifully, laughs with the children, politely touches the hands of ladies, hugs the men and talks to everyone with love and care. He does love everybody. He just does wrong sometimes. And that is the moral of the story: Politicians lie and do wrong sometimes. But if they are good politicians, they also make life better, as their focus in life is the greater good. That’s the way it is with politicians. People must accept this character trait and flaw about them. Don’t put so much faith in anyone especially a politician! Understand their nature.
The old tale from Africa has much to tell us about American politics and why most Americans do not give a flying rat’s behind if President Donald Trump lies and hides past shady financial dealings. And the majority of Americans do not care to impeach him, no matter what the Muller report revealed and concluded. When it comes to President Trump, most Americans just don’t care enough to kick him out of office. They are perfectly content to wait a couple more years to vote him out if they are so inclined at that particular point in time. We’ve grown accustomed to waiting out all sorts of corrupt politicians for decades. This cynicism is why most Americans don’t vote at all.
Mom, apple pie, baseball & apathy
Many modern-day voters remember the long, although titillating, President Bill Clinton impeachment hearings, and a declining number of us still can recall even further back in American history to Watergate and the subsequent resignation of President Richard Nixon. Both acts of Congress took a couple of years—time we’ll never get back in our American lives. And during these episodes, government was at a standstill. Nothing else was getting done, like fixing centuries-old infrastructure or coming up with innovative ways to best care for our environment and the lives of future Americans. Priorities got smeared in political excrement.
Given all our nation’s been through with one presidential scandal after another, most Americans simply have lost their moral outrage over anything the current President has done, continues to do, and most certainly will do. No skin off the nose, long as folks got jobs and live the good ol’ middle-class life. Folks don’t really wanna be rich no how. They don’t wanna be poor neither.
This latest game of Congressional chicken is up to the Democrats now. They can proceed with yet another drawn-out, heated, politically ruinous impeachment process, a yawn-a-thon captured on live TV every day for a couple of years. Or we can take a lesson from the ancient and wise African folktale about the true nature of a politician. We need to ask ourselves exactly what is it we expect or want from this type of person. Perfection? Why, haven’t we learned by now nobody’s perfect? That’s even the Republicans’ motto for President Trump: An imperfect man but perfect for the job. See? See how half the country thinks? Do we expect our politicians to lead a moral life? Don’t make me laugh. There’s no such thing once a person becomes elected.
Politicians are larger-than-life beings not unlike the ancient Greek and Roman gods or 20th century movie stars. They are their own grand creation and illusion. We the little people best wise up and accept the dark side of human nature that is celebrated and given a pass for politicians. It’s how the powerful arise and lead and through misdeeds, misdemeanors and felonies, somehow get things done that improve life for some or many. It’s called democracy, and it’s a mess. What’s the alternative?