The Fair Witness

In the ongoing primary battles on this site and others, I am being increasingly reminded of a character from Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein.

Anne is, what is termed in the book, a Fair Witness.

She is an objective spectator who is legally authorized to testify in court about any event she has been hired to observe.  Fair Witnesses relate only what they experience with no personal interpretations, suppositions, or rhetorical flourishes.

The particular excerpt which keeps coming back to me is

"You Know how Fair Witnesses behave." ...Anne was on the springboard; she turned her head. Jubal called out, "That house on the hilltop -- can you see what color they've painted it?" Anne looked, then answered, "It's white on this side, boss."

It has been many, many years - okay, probably 2 decades - since I read that book.  But that moment and Anne's character were indelibly etched on my psyche.  While I knew I couldn't begin to emulate her, her remarkable legitimacy was something to strive toward.

There are things I have decided in this election and I came at them hard because, as with many of us I am sure, there are so many things that are important to us.  This is far from a one issue campaign and it may prove to be an historic one.

We have reached a stage where the disaffection of Republican moderates with their party is at extraordinary levels.  The mo' is not only with democrats, but with the liberal wing of the Democratic Party.  Rejoice!

But the war, the environment, health care, manufacturing, energy, erosion of Constitutional liberties are all huge, HUGE issues this election.

All the of the candidates have their pros and cons.  The fact I am voting for Obama is party a personal decision in that I like his style as well as his record, and partly practical in that I think he has the best chance of effecting his vision into actual policy.

But thinking about Anne, there are things up with which I will not put, to quote Churchill.

I will not be told that, voting records and past performances aside, my candidate is right wing, Republican Lite, or a harbinger of death for the Democratic Party.

Nor will I be told his health care plan is the greatest thing since sliced bread, Saran Wrap, or sporks.

I will not be told that Clinton's vote on IWR or Edward's vote and co-sponsorship of it were the right thing to do with the information they had at the time.

I will not be told to ignore their voting records and believe with my heart in their progressive credentials, their so-called experience (some real, some imagined), or that they will fare any better or worse than any other candidate who may get the nod.

Nor will I be told that either of them will be ruinous to society as we know it, destroy any hope of fixing the awful mess left behind by the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, or herald the end of the Democratic Party as we know it.

We all want to get things done.  Some of us want to do it one way and others of us want to do it another.

If we can stop spinning, stop embroidering, use whole quotes, source material, and cut the vitriol, maybe we can reach some consensus not only on what needs to happen but how to get there.

Because whichever Democrat wins the Presidency (and I remain convinced that any of them can beat {insert Republican candidate here}) will need a willing Congress, with the backing of their constituents, to get anything done they may have promised.

We the People are the government.  We might pause to remember that while we're throwing slings and arrows at imaginary beasties.