In July and August of 2004 I worked as a "logger" (a logger provides a type-written "log" of all researched video/film footage for a respective film production) on the film, Celsius 41.11. The film was one of a number of conservative/ Republican-funded films produced at the end of last year in response to Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11. For me, regardless of the politics involved, the production represented two months' pay. I wanted it to appear as professional as possible. And, I'll also admit that if liberal or Democratic party members or even Ross Perot's or Ralph Nader's old supporters had been looking to hire people to work on film projects indirectly supporting their candidates, I would have been the first in line there too. So, if you call me a mercenary and don't find me exactly lovable, I understand :)
Anyway, Celsius 41.11 finally wrapped production and I later went to a screening of it in October 2004 at the conservative Liberty Film Festival at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. Mainly, I attended the Festival to see the end result of two months of production work. But, it also allowed me to sit in on lectures conducted by entertainment industry people of who I am a big fan. One of those people was David Zucker, the writer of Airplane, the Police Squad TV series, Naked Gun 33 1/3 and numerous other hugely entertaining productions.
David Zucker took the stage at the Liberty Film Festival and described how his political views had changed in the last few years. More specifically, he elaborated that he was a long-time Democrat/liberal who had begun to side with the Republicans only after the terrorist attacks on the U.S. in 2001. As I was hearing Mr. Zucker's statements, I was made to recall how many traditionally Democratic voters had voted for Republican, Ronald Reagan, in the Presidential elections of 1980 and '84. As with Mr. Zucker in 2004, it seemed that a single issue was responsible for this 80's-era Democratic change of allegiance, say a desire for a stronger national defense, lower federal taxation or a reduction in the size of some areas of the federal government. I was struck by Mr. Zucker's statements and how, even today, one political issue is still enough to push a voter to side with one party or another at the expense of all other issues. And, how there still doesn't seem to be an a-la-carte menu in U.S. politics, where a voter can truly make political choices based on the entirety of his or her political views rather than what issue is on center-stage at the moment.
Article comments
1 - Natalie Davis
Interesting theory. If only it were possible.
2 - chris franklin
"Yes" to Number 1, wouldn't it be nice if it were possible?
I think you'd almost have to take the "person" out of the equation and elect an "electronic device" as your member of congress (probably not going to happen for a long while, if ever, I hope).
Or, you'd have to elect an individual who literally had no recorded personal feelings or track record on paticular issues and simply was an outstanding trial attorney and fighter for the rights of others. An attorney/actor almost.
Or, perhaps, you elect an individual to congress who was formerly a beaureucrat/lawyer employed by the Federal government; he or she would be accustomed to not taking the side of any political party (in accordance with the Federal Code), but rather to simply carrying out the will of those in power during a given electoral term. In a change of position, I suggest, perhaps, that bureaucrats become the "politicans" and the people assume the directing political "power," the bureaucrats (who have now become the elected politicans) carrying out or otherwise fight for the collective will of their respective electorates.
So we still have representative democracy, but the background and or nature of the representatives changes. It's almost like the legislative branch takes on some of the chracteristics of the judicial branch, thus becoming a legislative courtroom with 535 lawyers simultaneously arguing for 535 seperate electorates. The president becomes the representative of the biggest US electorate of all and he effectively becomes representative 536; of course, despite his "election," this is the U.S. President as a Prime Minister, really.
Of course, I don't intend to advocate anything seditious, just political changes to better reflect the evolutions that have occurred in the daily lives of the U.S. body politic in the last 10, 15 years.