09/26/2000

Reminder: the Seattle Frontier User's Group meets tonight. I'll be there! Eric writes: "Discussions topics are up in the air, but I'd bet that Radio Userland and connecting to interesting backend services is going to be a large part of it."

There are people who support a political party, Democrats or Republicans, almost as if it's a religion. I'm not sure if these people can't or won't think for themselves.

I'm one of those people.

Why?

There is a small handful of hugely important issues that my party stands for. The other party vehemently disagrees.

It's not really religion on my part -- it's total pragmatism. My party could nominate a rock or a racoon or an oak tree -- and I'd vote for it. Because that rock is going to be on my side of those issues.

I have never been disillusioned about politics, because I have never had any illusions. My earliest memories are of sitting at the dinner table and watching the Watergate hearings. I remember watching Nixon resign. This was my first exposure to politics. First impressions last.

I call it the Presumption of Nixon. I assume that every candidate for every office is no morally better than Nixon, I assume they have done or would do what Nixon did, or worse. I'm continually surprised that people expect politicians to be better than that.

Given a choice between two evil jerk-off artists -- and given that that's the only choice you will ever have in a million years -- you vote for the one who agrees with you on the issues you most care about. It's the issues that matter.