The Lotus Eaters

The Lotus Eaters
by Diane Alden

In Homer's Odyssey, the hero Ulysses finds he and his crew anchored off the country of the Lotus-Eaters. He sends some of his crew to see what the inhabitants are like. "There grew in that country a sweet fruit called the lotus, which caused men who tasted it to forget everything. When informed about the situation he had to restrain his men from going to that land and had to forcibly drag the rest of them back to the ships." The effect of the food was such that those who ate it lost all thoughts of home and wished to stay with the Lotus-Eaters. They became indolent, dreamy and forgetful - turning their backs on a life of duty, honor and -- reality.

There can be no other explanation for what is happening in the good old USA. The inhabitants of the United States have partaken of the fruit that has made them blind, deaf, dumb, forgetful and self-satisfied. Why else would people vote for Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Bill Bradley, John McCain and the others who promise more laws and expanding government? As a people we have become enamored by celebrity and worship strange heroes while we wander dreamlike into the future - eating the lotus fruit provided by the media. That can be the only explanation for the current state of the national psyche.

Now the media is orgasmic because John McCain won -- by a large margin -- in New Hampshire. It pleases the media because they helped create the candidate and the win. By portraying McCain as a maverick hero, anti-Republican establishment, one who takes on mean nasty "big tobacco," while crying out for campaign finance reform -- he is nevertheless easy to mold to media specifications. Besides he is attractive, has a beautiful wife, a war hero, and he does sound a lot like Al Gore. A nice Styrofoam candidate, plastic, mushy and doesn't hold much. Easy to crush or tear to shreds when the time comes. His usefulness to the media will come to an end - and McCain's soccer moms will wonder what happened.

If McCain gets the Republican nomination the media will turn on him as quickly as they kiss his ring now. Why? Oh -- where do I begin?

Like another national hero, former Ohio Senator John Glenn, McCain had the misfortune to be associated with the "Keating Five," and the taint of campaign money of questionable origin and dubious legality. McCain was one of five congressmen investigated on ethics charges for helping convicted racketeer Charles Keating after he gave them large campaign contributions. (Keating's convictions were overturned in higher courts on technicalities.)

McCain received $112,000 in campaign contributions from Keating and made at least 9 trips to Keating's Bahaman property. McCain's wife and father-in-law also were the largest investors, $350,000, in a Keating shopping center. The Phoenix Times called it a "sweetheart deal."

McCain serves a dual purpose for the leftwing media. First of all, they know he is beatable in the general elections against Al Gore or Bill Bradley. They realize if he gets the Republican nomination he will be carrying more baggage than Hannibal crossing the Alps with a herd of heavily loaded elephants.

Second, for conservative Republicans, his public record and statements don't square with the ostensible Republican message, which will make keeping the conservative wing of the Republicans on Election Day -- a challenge. Oftentimes McCain's public pronouncements sound awfully Gorish. But the media continues to portray him as one who knows how to play well with others - i.e. the center left.

Only recently he accepted lots of "soft" money from sources that might compromise his position as Chairman of the Commerce Committee, which oversees corporate mergers.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, US West, Bell South, and two Baby Bells are among McCain's top five contributors. The biggest contributors to his campaign were the employees of Viacom, which is waiting for government permission to merge with CBS.

While taking contributions from these "special interests," McCain now suggests that authority for such mergers be turned over to the Justice Department. (Just what the country needs, more power placed in an already mind-boggling corrupt Cabinet department.)

At this moment he is still taking "soft" money from many corporations which appear before his powerful Commerce Committee. A bit hypocritical but why should he care -- the media turns a blind eye and the other Republicans don't want to appear - "mean-spirited" by pointing it out to the electorate.

Even in areas of endeavor in which he should show some pride, he comes off as a 60s guilt-ridden boomer. In a 1997 interview with Mike Wallace, he insinuated that he considered himself a guilty of war crimes, or being an "air pirate," for having killed innocent women and children while flying missions over Vietnam. Others who took part in the Vietnam effort may see that experience differently. Most who fought in that unpopular war actually thought they were helping to overturn a brutish system that enslaved people physically, economically and spiritually?

In the personal realm McCain dumped his wife of many years and married a newer, younger, richer version. Those who knew his former spouse say she worked tirelessly for McCain while he was in captivity and was a wonderful woman.

His current wife has been involved in a drug scandal of her own - stealing certain mood elevators and painkillers from the organization she founded as a charity. Additionally she has been involved in some questionable business dealings. You don't think the press is not going to make hay about this? Think again. The press will be given a two-fer if McCain wins the nomination and they will trash them both.

It is revealing that Arizona Governor Jane Dee Hull came out in favor of George W. Bush and is actively campaigning for him rather than native son, McCain. In statewide polls GWB is running very well in Arizona polls against McCain. In late October McCain had 39 percent, and Bush was close behind with 31 percent. State insiders say that among Republicans in Arizona, McCain is not universally liked. Before the February 22 primary he will have to spend money in his home state in order to play catch up and do major fence mending with various factions in the Republican Party.

McCain promoted the war on tobacco that gave the nanny-state yet another reason to concoct regulations that are supposed to save "children" and dumb adults from themselves. Thereby, he helped divert attention from the abysmal and unworkable US drug policy. On the other hand, he realized the war on tobacco appealed to the inclinations of social engineers, the media and certain soccer moms, while also amassing taxes for federal and state governments. In addition, the success of this "war" created a climate for further litigation against other "enemies" such as fast foods, guns, and SUVs. It also made the legal establishment happy. McCain knows a fat laden McIssue when he sees one.

Among many conservatives his stance on the civil war in Kosovo and the subsequent bombing by NATO seem incongruous given his conclusions on his Vietnam experience. But perhaps like others he sees killing Serbs and destroying the fragile economy and infrastructure of a sovereign country as somehow different and more just than the "civil" war he fought in Vietnam.

If John McCain became the Republican nominee, the leftwing media would tear him apart. In spite of Bill Bradley, Al Gore will be the Democratic nominee. The media will portray Gore (or Bradley) as the preferred caretaker of the Clinton legacy and best hope for continuing a dazzling economy. The media knows full well that if they can't find much baggage carried by a Republican candidate they must invent it. Might as well make the job easier and set McCain up in order to tear him down.

McCain is squishy on several issues, like taxation, abortion, and gun control. This is going to make him problematic to the right wing of the Republican Party. He will wake up one day to find the left-wing press constantly reminding the right wing of his stance on these issues.

While McCain's service to his country is to be applauded and honored it is not enough to replace wisdom, sound judgement and vision vital for a leader in the new millennium.

McCain may be the Republican candidate -- but I don't think so. The rest of the country will have other ideas. GWB is still going to be the nominee. While I do not think he is the brightest bulb in the chandelier, he is still a sight better than McCain or Gore. Once again I will hold my nose and vote. Praying to God Almighty that the Republic can endure and may shake off the almost drug induced state of mind currently afflicting this God favored -- United States of America.

The Lotus-Eaters - the people in the US may have to be dragged kicking and screaming back to duty and honor before this nation sinks even deeper into a coma and expires.

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