As Head of Ticket Goes, So Goes Much of GOP, Alas

I got a call from a friend the other day. He’s a congressman from a solidly Republican district who is afraid he’s losing. “It’s not my fault,” he said, “my opponent keeps saying that I’m part of the Bush-Quayle Administration that has brought the country to ruin. People I have known for 20 years are telling me they aren’t going to vote for me. I never liked George Bush or thought he should be President, but I had to be loyal to him.”

He mildly suggested that maybe he should denounce Bush, but he won’t. He’s one of the better ones, who understands that loyalty is still an important part of politics. If defeat is to be your lot, you will be best remembered for going down with the ship rather than drowning in a vain attempt to save yourself.

I am sure my friend’s frustration is that his possible defeat is not his fault. He told the Administration that things were worse than they thought; he reported that lifelong Republicans in his district were telling him they wouldn’t vote for Bush; he gave wise counsel that went unheeded. And, he resisted the temptation most officeholders think nothing of succumbing to: He kept his opinions within the family and did not rush before the TV cameras to denounce the Administration or the President who headed it.

When you are President, or even a presidential candidate, your extra political burden is that, by losing, you will take others, who don’t deserve it, down to defeat. I have sympathy for my friend, but I have even more for the thousands of others, running on the GOP ticket for the state legislature, town clerk or dog catcher, who will lose Nov. 3. Participatory democracy is a real kick in the groin when you lose and it isn’t even your fault.

Last week, the White House made time available for more than 400 Republican candidates for the House to have their picture taken with the President; about two dozen showed up. There are reports that Bush can’t always campaign where he wants to because local candidates will not appear with him. And then there are the recriminations.

Usually, the “it wasn’t my fault” syndrome doesn’t set in until the votes are counted. But a recent series of articles in the Washington Post detailed the history of economic policy development in the Bush Administration, leading the reader to believe that some who had been considered at fault were really heroes. Of course, the President came off looking less than decisive, but people who have enjoyed the power he gave them and basked in his spotlight when he was popular can afford to belittle him when they are sure he is going to lose.

There is nothing redeeming, there is no contribution to history, there is no integrity in “setting the record straight.” You only hurt the person you owe the most to.

And then there are the others. Not the Cabinet officers or undersecretaries, but the middle-level appointees and staff people. Within the last few weeks, most have had to confront the fact that, on Jan. 20, they won’t have a job. It may sound strange, but most had never thought about it, so absorbed were they in what they were doing. Many are in their mid-30s, with families to support. How would any of us like to spend the coming holidays looking for work in a depressed economy, with a resume that says you’ve spent the last several years working for the Bush Administration?

There have also been some happy things to report. Vice President Dan Quayle gave a good account of himself in the vice-presidential debate and therefore will be able to retire from office with a favorable impression. This loss is not, and never was, a product of anything Quayle did, and he was able to prove his worth by being loyal to his President instead of blaming him.

And Bush at least conducted himself with dignity during the debates. Perhaps many would have preferred that he take another shot at Bill Clinton, but when you are behind 45-0 and there are two minutes left, all you have is your dignity. Gratuitously punching someone in the mouth isn’t worth the sacrifice.

Nobody who has been involved in politics would tell you it’s fair. In two weeks, people who don’t deserve it will lose, others who have done a good job for their country will lose their jobs and still others will demean themselves by claiming, “It wasn’t my fault.” These are the results of political defeat. Though I had nothing to do with it, I feel sad.