Sean Johnson - Intentionally - The Education of Sean Johnson

Al Gore wrote a fascinating book a few months back about the state of American political discourse. He wrote that the notion of what we now call America was based on the assumption of a “well-informed populace” - that is, that the majority of the people would care enough about their country and the gift of freedom that this “Great Expiriment” afforded them that they would take the care to make sure they understood what the issues were and why they believed one way or the other.

Gore argued that such an America no longer exists - that the people have become so used to being force-fed the opinions of pundits, both on television and in print, that they no longer think for themselves. They’ve given up reason for blind faith in an ideology handed to them. Regardless of which side of the fence they sit on, their opinions are no longer their own.

I think it’s why Gore refuses to run, why he’s chosen to avoid the absurdity of politics in favor of the pursuit of goal to save the planet. And I don’t blame him.

For six months I’ve followed a certain candidate, and have had dozens of conversations with friends, family and colleagues about the state of America and about the prospects of having a humble, honest man running the country. With one exception, every single person I’ve talked to has been a walking billboard. Few know anything about why they believe what they believe. They talk about how Guliani is a strong leader because of 9/11 or about how Hillary would save health care, in spite of the fact that they know nothing about what Guliani actually did during 9/11 nor have any clue about what Hillary’s plan actually is. They talk about what they’re told to talk about - no more and no less. No wonder they’ve never heard of people like Ron Paul or Dennis Kucinich - their media won’t allow them to.

I believe that Paul’s chances are dramatically higher than they were when I discovered him back in March. I remain convinced that he would make our country better in a way unlike anything I’ve been convinced of in a very long time. He’s an honorable man, consistent in his thinking and acts on what he believes. When you’re up against a man that has no apparent inconsistencies, no obvious cracks in the edifice, and when you know that a discussion of ideas will be far more perilous for you than for the man who’s spent 30 years learning and making sense of why he believes what he believes….you better believe that the best course of action is to ignore him. But that’s becoming more and more difficult.

That said, I still think he has a long way to go. But I don’t think that the likelihood of him winning the nomination is a slight on him. I think it’s a slight on us.

I’ve been told before that I should have faith in “the wisdom of crowds” to make wise decisions. But the wisdom of crowds (of which I’ve been party to most of my life) decided that George Bush would be the most fitting person to run our country. The wisdom of crowds says that, in spite of the fact that our foreign policy isn’t doing anything but engendering hate and bankrupting our country, and in spite of the fact that we’re witnessing the repercussions of a fiat currency as predicted by Friedman and others, that the ideas of this 72 year old man about how to simultaneously keep our country safe, our soldiers alive and our finances healthy must be nuts. Because the wisdom of crowds is being told what to think, and we’re too damn lazy to think for ourselves.

I feel more than a little hypocritical writing any of this. I grew up reading Rush Limbaugh books, and as of four years ago was convinced that “the Pentagon’s new map” must be right and the liberal crazies who were parading down the streets of Manhattan needed to stop taking drugs and understand how the real world works. I was angry when 9/11 happened, and I can recall vividly sitting around with my college buddies talking about how righteous we were when we “shocked and awed” Iraq. I was a member of the more than half of our country that supported these ideas, that thought the Patriot Act reasonable, that thought a Christian had every right to believe in a policy of preemptive war.

I was wrong, on all counts. I’m not sure when the switch happened, but at some point I woke up. I’d like to believe that I’m now able to step outside of the normal “us vs. them” thinking, and am able to realize that they’re both saying effectively the same things. And I’d like to think that for the first time in my young life I’ve found someone who I truly believe in. And coming from where I’ve come, from knowing how I’ve been so easily manipulated and controlled in the past, it breaks my heart to see the same thing in those I love.

Maybe Paul isn’t the best person to run this country. Maybe his ideas really are crazy. Maybe Guliani really would be a strong leader that we need, and maybe Hillary really will solve our problems.

What I pray is that you make your own decision. I don’t mean that in the sense that we so often mean it in. I mean that you take Al Gore’s words (and by extension, the words of those who started this country) to heart. By yourself, with no television to tell you what to think and who to believe in, spend some time reading about these people. Have an open mind - forget about what party you’ve been affiliated with and about what that party means to your identity. Read about their pros and their cons. Read about their ideas, the criticisms of said ideas and the counterpoints to those criticisms. And then make up your own mind.

I don’t expect everyone to come to the same conclusion that I came to. But imagine for a second what it would be like if you believed in a politician the way that and so many others like me believe in Ron Paul. Imagine if you found someone who, while not on target with everything that you believe (because who is), exhibits an honesty and conviction and intelligence and consistency and morality and humility that makes your heart leap, makes you believe in our country again. I would submit that, whoever the candidate, anything less is unacceptable.

It’s a feeling I’m cherishing, for I’m pretty sure, as Al Gore is, that it will never come again.