In Politics, Perception Is the Reality

American journalist Ambrose Bierce defined politics as a “strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles”--and he’d never even heard of the Thousand Oaks City Council.

More than 22,000 residents voted Linda Parks a seat on the council in 1996. Although her guru, Elois Zeannah, was denied her turn with the mayor’s gavel, Parks got her crack at it last month. Since then she’s had to stomach a string of political defeats, from seating assignments to committee appointments. Her less-than-strategically scheduled Residents Roundtable was seen as merely a means to the mayor’s personal ends. The latest rebuke by her colleagues ended up unceremoniously voiding her plan to remove Dave Anderson from the Planning Commission.

Making good in local government isn’t that tough. Al Urias, the crusty former mayor of Santa Paula, summed it up best: “This is a very easy job; all you have to do is count to three.” Parks keeps coming up at least one vote short.

Although this writer has confidence in Parks’ basic computation skills, it’s her political naivete, her failure to grasp how the process works, that is of concern. In politics, perception is reality. Parks insists on holding her colleagues responsible for deliberately undermining her ability to lead while her critics contend her abuse of power is motivated by political brinkmanship, retaliation and / or a view toward Campaign 2000. Determining which side is “right” has ceased to matter.

In the early 1900s, sturdy German pragmatists coined the term “realpolitik” to describe politics as it really is, not as some idealist desires it to be. Roughly synonymous with pure, unadulterated power, realpolitik delineates politics at its most practical. Perhaps it is time for Mayor Parks to become real. A smart first step might be to jettison her purse-sized copy of Machiavelli’s “The Prince” along with the ill-fitting steel magnolia persona of her mentor. Let’s face it, this modus operandi isn’t working.

Parks might find a more compatible role model if she looks north toward the city of Arcata, where she would encounter a host of kindred spirits. Arcata’s ardent environmental activism has been well-documented by the media. The mayor rides a bike, phrases such as “a truly trippy shade of purple” are liberally strewn through the newsy weekly, and “sustainability” serves as the polysyllabic mantra on everyone’s lips.

By comparing notes, Parks would find that Arcata also recently recovered from a failed recall, and with the average domicile selling for $200,000, struggles with affordable housing matters as well. She would learn why Arcata relishes being a university town and how the latchkey to 1% to 2% growth was located in the late ‘80s.

Parks is incontrovertibly convinced that things would be different had “The Clean Sweepers” done better at the ballot box. It doesn’t take a crystal ball to prophesy an incessant barrage of losing 3-2 voting blocs in her future. Let’s play a round of the “what-if” game.

Wasn’t it that eminent philosopher Kermit the Frog who contended, “It’s not easy being green?” Arcata became the first city in the nation to elect a majority of Green Party members to its City Council. Only two years later, courtesy of disgruntled voters, that hegemony was history. Of course, Parks et al are not Greens but they are green, with lots to learn from the plight of Arcata’s true believers.

First, Arcata’s super-environmentalists found they were much more effective on the outside as the “loyal opposition” (emphasis on opposition) than on the inside, where they were expected to be large and in charge. Second, dealing daily with the not-so-sexy minutiae of sewer, water and trash issues may fail to enthrall but it keeps your city out of court. Finally, deeply held positions of principle (House Republicans take note) preempt compromise, result in divisive deadlock and are not forgotten at the polls.

Parks says she’ll consider her tenure as mayor a success if she only saves the Lange Ranch oaks. Keep in mind, however, whether hugging trees or principles, politics as usual, Thousand Oaks-style, is pretty much for the birds.

Beverly Kelley hosts “Local Talk” on KCLU-FM (88.3) at 7 p.m. Mondays. She teaches in the Communication Arts Department at Cal Lutheran University. Praeger just released her book, “Reelpolitik: Political Ideologies in ‘30s and ‘40s Films.” Address e-mail to kelley@clunet.edu.

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A smart first step might be to jettison her purse-sized copy of Machiavelli’s ‘The Prince’ along with the ill-fitting steel magnolia persona of her mentor. Let’s face it, this modus operandi isn’t working.