Perils of pragmatism

A column about a lack of passion sure generated some impassioned response.

Last week in this space (“Ballot-box blues”), I discussed my malaise about several races in the Nov. 7 election. Winners for governor, Assembly, state Senate and Congress seem foregone conclusions, tempering the enthusiasm I normally feel in even-numbered autumns.

Reactions have been mixed in message but consistent in conviction. (For a cross-section, see Letters.) Among the most strident criticism is CN&R has not done enough to promote Democrats and criticize Republicans—“that’s why the electorate is misinformed, and the Republicans win. Isn’t that your paper’s responsibility?”

We will have an election issue to inform the electorate. But if immediate gratification is needed, try this:

• The world is not safer since 9/11 and the global war on terror.

• It’s appalling that the White House and its congressional lackeys would advocate torture while opposing life-saving medical research, and allow illegal surveillance of citizens while not protecting the identity of a key CIA operative.

• Rep. Wally Herger’s Democratic opponent, Dr. A. J. Sekhon, is an internist and pulmonologist, a law school graduate and a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve who has been decorated eight times.

• Assemblyman Rick Keene’s challenger, Mickey Harrington, is a former Navy reservist who is president of the Butte Glenn Central Labor Council.

• The man opposing state Sen. Sam Aanestad, Paul Singh, has served as a Fish and Game commissioner and chairman of the Democratic Central Committee.

There’s a dose of truth. Now, what did that change?

As I said last week, this will stay a rock-solid area for Republicans, barring an October surprise with ramifications more local than the Foley scandal.

I did not (and don’t) advocate staying away from the polls. Voting is a right, and we all should exercise it—particularly with key council and supervisor spots at stake.

What I did say is that this perhaps is one election where votes for third-party candidates won’t have a detrimental impact. Consider a vote of conscience in a likely landslide.

Or, as one reader sagely advises, invest your energies in a neighboring district. Either way, make your presence felt.

Debatable: The League of Women Voters of Butte County will conduct three candidate forums over the next two weeks. The first—tonight (Oct. 12), for Chico City Council and the Board of Supervisors—will feature all the candidates. The final two probably won’t. The league has decided to limit those fields to Republicans and Democrats—no Greens, no Libertarians, no Peace and Freedoms. Third-party candidates often have creative ideas, and forums are about the only place Big Two candidates get exposed to them. Their exclusion is unfortunate.