Something hit me very hard once, thinking about what one little man could do. Think of the Queen Mary -- the whole ship goes by and then comes the rudder. And there's a tiny thing at the edge of the rudder called a trim tab.It's a miniature rudder. Just moving the little trim tab builds a low pressure that pulls the rudder around. Takes almost no effort at all. So I said that the little individual can be a trim tab. Society thinks it's going right by you, that it's left you altogether. But if you're doing dynamic things mentally, the fact is that you can just put your foot out like that and the whole big ship of state is going to go. So I said, call me Trim Tab.
It may not be exactly as easy as Bucky suggests ... and ... a small thing like one courageous and articulate independent being elected to Congress and an even smaller thing -- you mobilizing your friends and colleagues in California's 33rd District to register by May 19th and vote for Marianne on June 3rd -- can likewise have an impact. Here are five reasons why:
1. A Coherent and Pertinent Message. Marianne and her campaign are addressing the two most fundamental and significant issues facing America and the world today -- and she is combining them in a unique and effective way. Those issues are the unchecked, unbalanced, and unmitigated power of money to determine the rules of governance and public policy ... AND ... the absence of the sacred in the public sphere. Think about it. Why do you imagine the power of money is so powerful, and why do we so easily accept that power? I say it's because we are so divided into religious vs. secular tribes that we don't recognize the virtues and values people from across the political and spiritual spectrum have in common. There is a sense of sacred that includes and transcends both religion and non-religion, and that is the unifying power and story that Marianne speaks to. In saying we need to take money out of politics, she is also saying we need to re-invite and insert the sacred in its place. She has the ability to articulate this distinction, and her campaign is doing just that.
2. She is running as an Independent. Marianne recognizes that the Democratic Party is just as firmly and dysfunctionally entrenched in pay-to-play politics as the Republicans are, and she is affirming what the American people are already seeing. A Gallup poll early this year found that a record 42% of Americans identify as "independents" -- compared to 31% Democrats and 25% Republicans. I would suggest that most of those who identify as "Democrats" would even more fervently identify as "not Republicans", a sad indication that neither party holds a compelling vision for the future. Marianne does.
3. She Can Win. In the heavily Democratic 33rd Congressional District (which includes the cities of Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Calabasas, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Marina del Rey, Pacific Palisades, Palos Verdes Estates, Redondo Beach, Santa Monica, Topanga, Venice and Westwood), Marianne more closely represents the values of Democratic voters than the candidates the Democratic Party is running. Since voter turnout in off-year primaries can be as low as 20% of the eligible voters, a focused campaign of inspired voters could pull this off. Keep in mind that in California's open primaries, no party affiliation is required to vote ... and the two top vote getters regardless of party will face-off in November.
4. Her Being in the Race in November Will Make News. As Scoop Nisker famously said decades ago, if you don't like the news make some of your own. One of the great benefits of the Occupy movement two years ago was that it broke the conversation about oligarchy through the "soundless barrier". Occupy became the news, and as participants were interviewed by mainstream media their message came through loudly and clearly. If Marianne becomes one of the two candidates running in November, she will automatically have a platform to speak to the press, locally and nationally. Should she be elected to Congress in November, she will be a voice perhaps more pertinent and articulate than either Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren.
5. This is YOUR Chance to Participate. During the Kennedy years, more than 80% of Americans trusted their government. The latest figures show it's now more like 20%. Do the math. Do the aftermath. Voter apathy and disgust is at an all-time high. Yes, there was a spike in 2008 as an awakening electorate pinned their hopes on Obama. Now that the hopium has worn off, the liberating news is that more than ever, it is up to us. If you live in the 33rd District, this is your chance to cast a MEANINGFUL vote. If you don't, it's a chance to encourage your friends and family who do live there to cast THEIR meaningful vote. And you can support the campaign financially. As the Swami says, "It takes money to take the money out of politics!"
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