I can't, therefore I won't

Posted at 11:25 AM on February 9, 2006 by Bob Collins

First, let me take the politics out of the Mike Ciresi decision not to run for the U.S. Senate and let's focus -- if only for a minute -- on a growing concept in America: that if we think we can't change anything, it's OK to admit we won't try.

OK, I guess I get that. I gave up any hope of being the guy who drives the Zamboni at the old Boston Garden quite awhile ago. But here at my place of employment, I'm constantly flailing away at suggesting new things, in the face of evidence sometimes that it's a wasted effort. But hasn't that been our national character: fighting lost causes?

In the same week a Minneapolis professor with absolutely no chance -- I think we can agree -- of beating Martin Sabo, decided to try anyway, Ciresi -- who has a lot more cash to burn on a lark -- decided not to. (Listen to Ciresi's comments).

It troubles me. It troubles me not as a Democrat, not as a Republican, not as a journalist, and not as a blogger. It troubles me as an American. It troubles me as the son of my father.

Forget, again, the debate on whether anything needs changing in Washington, but the suggestion that someone else should get things changed and then I'll think about helping out bothers me -- an admitted idealist when it comes to politics.

There are only 100 senators in Washington. The Party, in this case, needs only a seat or two here or there to take control of the Senate. So Ciresi's announcement that he can't change things not only speaks to his hopelessness for the government as a whole, it speaks to his hopelessness for -- in this case, the Democratic Party too. It speaks to his hopelessness for getting the budget under control. It speaks to his hopelessness for helping people who need health care. It speaks to his hopelessness for achieving peace. It speaks to his hopelessness for saving Social Security.

Excuse me, but isn't that a good way to write a great political obituary?

As I listened to Ciresi's comments yesterday, I heard Tim Penny's appearance on the McNeil-Lehrer report when he decided to step down from his 1st District seat years ago for many of the same reasons Ciresi indicated. The system's too screwed up for me to try to change it.

What I remember was how incredulous Jim Lehrer (I think it was Lehrer) was at the suggestion that a member of an exclusive club was giving up because of his inability and -- hence -- unwillingness to try to change things.

When Paul Wellstone decided to break his promise not to run for another term in the U.S. Senate (because the Democrats had taken control with Sen. Jeffords' defection), it certainly indicated that his reason for leaving was that he wouldn't be able to change anything with the Republicans in control.

From what I've heard today, nobody is incredulous at Ciresi's comments. They're too busy trying to figure out what it means for the politics of it all; you know, the race itself.

When things seem hopeless, that's when we need people to step forward to tell us it's not, and then rally us to that lost cause. But when those people say "it's hopeless," then the rest of us begin to believe it to.

And you wonder why so many people don't bother voting?

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