Once the People Speak, Washington Adjusts to Fate

When the people finally speak, after being bombarded with TV ads, the opinions of pundits and the most careful analyses of pollsters, I am always heartened by how intelligent they are. Democracy depends on the assumption that the electorate is capable of making correct decisions and, while proof of this cannot be found in the meandering thought processes of any single voter, the strange chemistry that comes together on Election Day always produces a collective wisdom that is compelling.

First, the election was closer than I thought it would be. This was not due to any late surge by George Bush--he barely moved from the 34%-36% he had in polls last August. Instead, the assumption that Ross Perot’s vote would shrink come Election Day, yielding a high percentage of Clinton voters, proved incorrect. Perot held his votes in spite of his odd ravings about conspiracies to disrupt his daughter’s wedding and the clear understanding he could not win.

In the last few days, I’ve heard a lot of discussion about Bill Clinton’s mandate . Had he won by 10% in a three-way race, had he come close to getting 50% of the vote, I might agree he had a “mandate.” But under the circumstances, he’s a middle-sized dog on a very short leash.

In their collective wisdom, the people gave Clinton the chance to govern but told him, in no uncertain terms, that they have appointed Perot to watch him and report if any good is being accomplished.

In recognition of Bush’s many years in public service, the people restored his dignity with enough votes so his loss will go down in history as simply the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time: The man presented with the bill for the spendthrift Ronald Reagan at a time when the economy lapsed into recession and the end of the Cold War caused the electorate to focus on domestic problems. The people are kind, as well as wise.

But what can be said for the country, for the defeated Republicans, those in need, the jobless, the homeless, those additional millions concerned about their future? What has this election meant to them? The answers are less clear.

America is the land of individuals, and my party, the GOP, most honors this fact. It is the government’s job to make sure all individual’s are educated, reasonably healthy (this includes the environment) and undiscriminated against because of race, creed, color or sex. After that, it’s a matter of making sure there is fairness, both in the society and the government.

In these respects, the system has broken down. The government is neither providing the services it should nor is there fairness in the government or the society.

As for the Republicans, they would do well to spend some time in contemplation of how they can make the government work again. For the moment, they have lost the role of critic, normally reserved for the out party, to Perot. According to the numbers, this is a less staggering defeat than 1964. But the GOP must now redefine its conservatism to meet post-Cold War issues, and this will not be easy.

As for the homeless, the jobless and those concerned about their future, there is at least hope, with a new President, that things will improve. Often hope is the most important ingredient to make life more bearable--even if it’s unfulfilled.

In Washington, there is great excitement. A new President is coming to a city whose only reason for existence is politics. The Democratic Establishment that has run this city throughout my life is rejuvenated as it searches through the “Plum” book (the government manual that lists all available presidential appointments) deciding what job to try for and who in Congress can be prevailed on to endorse the job-seeker. For the first time in 16 years, the holidays will be exciting times for Democrats.

And then there are the “insiders,” the lobbyists, the public-relations people, the older lawyers, who can cite a high federal appointment in some past Administration or a high-profile position in some past successful political effort. For them, nothing has changed. They will be sure of it the moment Clinton says yes to someone he shouldn’t, gives an appointment to someone on purely political grounds or says, “I really didn’t promise that.”

Welcome to the big leagues, Mr. Clinton. Everyone hits over .300 here and if you don’t throw that nickel curve of yours to exactly the right spot, you’ll see it going over the fence.