DennisMansfield.com

The New Reformers: Progressive Conservatives & Gov. Sarah Palin

Churchill's adage that in politics, young men are liberals and old men are conservatives makes for a good plausible thought...but not a true fact. Regardless of Churchill's enduring observation of age (and obvious omission of gender), something else SEEMS to coalesce political types together, rather than age. But what is it? Maybe, a better take on those interested in getting people elected could be that politics is like high school.

Think about it: some are in the "in" crowd and others are simply crowding in - awkward outsiders with their noses pressed against the plate glass, "feeling-about" for their identity....(maybe feeling like they are looking for their lockers...)

The underlying theme of this metaphor is that whether folks are conservative or liberal, their ideology (dare I say neo-religion?) demands that they capture ground and keep it. Once "in", never again to be outside looking in.  But does that work?

In a sense, I suppose I am a "recovering high school student", finally loosening the bonds of attachments that created in me a "mini-adult" status so many years ago, watching too many political movies and TV Oval Office shows and trying to act and pose like actors who act and pose like candidates...At 52 years of age, it's about time to acknowledge that I've finally graduated...tee hee.

I see it in all levels of the Democratic Party and the GOP. "Them that's gots, keeps..." Could be the mantra, I suppose. For the purpose of this posting, allow me to center in on the GOP, as it is my affiliation. For the purpose of this posting I site Sarah Palin as someone who got into politics to do something and will get out. For goodnes sakes, she spent years in her PTA and on her local town council...not quite CareerBuilder.com stuff.

I'd argue hers is the safer plan for the nation to enjoy, than the perpetual high school student councils elections of Biden, Kempthorne, Kennedy(s), Craig and Nixon.

I've been around the GOP for 32 years, run for office, lost and run again. With each passing year, I move further and further away from the goofiness of political in-fighting and power plays...and towards reform, progressive conservative reform. Please do not consider me bragging, but rather, illustrating the path of a progressive conservative - a reformer, encouraging others to reform their lives, cities and government like Sarah Palin has done.

• Get in and get out. I supported the Term Limits reform in Idaho. When the legislature overturned the will of the people, I led the actions that put the Referendum into place - forcing the issue back on the ballot for a final vote by the people.
• Turn them in, get them out. Reform demands that a person do what's right. I "turned in" my then-boss, a CA legislator (Assemblywoman Doris Allen), who was operating unethically.
• Run for office, even if it looks like political suicide. In 2000 I ran for US Congress against Butch Otter. People told me I was crazy. Though a good friend and a sitting Lt. Governor, Butch represented years of "in" crowd GOP back-slappers. No reform. No vision. In a field of 8, I came in 2nd to Butch. My race for State Senate was not too dissimilar.
• Stand up, speak out. Even if your friends  don't agree. Reform doesn't mean winning the first time, but it can happen. Don Paradis was on death row. I didn't see him as guilty and led the effort to have his case reviewed. Governor Batt amended his sentence and Don is a free man today.
• Change the world. We opened New Hope Community Health to help secure sobriety housing and classes for ex-addicts/ex-inmates. Godly, Christian, Republican neighbors opposed me. Hmmm...Reform means change. Change is painful. Changing the world is REALLY painful.

Progressive conservativism simply means well thought-out reform, regardless of personal costs; all accomplished from a traditional reference point. Getting rid of personality-driven public policy is key to it. Teddy Roosevelt did it 100 years ago. Sarah Palin is being called on to do it this centrury. My call is that a progressive conservative movement will rise within the GOP  - a movement of home makers, outsiders, part-timers and reformers.

After all, remember that the term status quo means "he/she who stays".....

Den

What does "it" matter? - 50,000 page views later

Get this, on September 2nd of 2006 we launched this blog with the following text:

What is "it"? There have been a lot of "its" in the past and many quotes like "it's the economy stupid" and many others. For this website the "it" for now is an attempt in fusing politics, culture, business, personality, religion, you and me.

No longer will there be a perceived hidden agenda - you'll get the straight scoop right here. There has never been a hidden agenda in my life; I like to lay myself right out there. Along with some friends there is a plan to bring many thoughts and plans to help businesses succeed, to help people reach their true potential and see a fusion of different perspectives become a stronger entity.

You'll see video, documents to download, links to other sites and people that speak into this dream - hang on & hope you like "it"!

Well....it's been 23 months since that first post (and 50,000 pageviews later as well - we hit that today.)


I'm sure that's not a big deal for some folks, but on this blog, it's fun to see us tip the scales at 50,000. ( I think that's more than the total number of election votes I've ever received - tee hee)


We've had a bunch of posts and we'll have a bunch more....

Keep hangin' on...and thanks for joining us, lo these many , many days/weeks/months and now years.

Den

 PS: Let me know which ones may have been "favorites", ok?
I just may sprinkle this month of August with a few "Best Of's"

Goin' To Jail

I went to a play tonight....and ended up in jail.

Hang on, I'll explain in a second.

The Boise Contemporary Theater (BCT) hosts a wonderful assortment of interesting and insightful plays each year. They've done this now for 10 years. Before the '06-'07 season began, a group of now-dear friends, led by the ever-creative Troy and Sue Maben, invited my bride, Susan and me to join them with season tickets. We did.

Now, on to the explanation: tonight's play was entitled "Bust" and stars the amazing actor, Lauren Weedman, as a newbie volunteer at the LA County Jail. (Ms. Weedman is formerly of the Daily Show with John Stewart and NPR's Rewind. She brings to our little city some big-city talent.)

She plays an ever-auditioning would-be actor/dancer/entertainer, who for some strange reason decides to volunteer at the jail...a dark, forboding and alien culture to her...and to the whole audience. Well, almost all. Possibly being one of the few folks in attendance who gets to help at our local jail, I was anticipating a sort of over-the-top portrayal of jails, cons and cops - all recycled from some 30 years of mixed up "Barnie Miller-TJ Hooker-Linda Blair-Cops-Criminal Intent" culture cocktails of creative license. (Ooh, what an ugly image that conjures up - let alone a lousy/mixed metaphor!)

Again, Dennis the all-anticipating-sage was not on his game and should have been arrested for Failure to Think!

This one-person show was so wonderfully real - a mixture of well perfomed characters and believeably unbelieveable scenarios....yep, as outragious as some were, I have witnessed many with my own eyes in jail each Wednesday!! It was an 80-minute visit into the odd worlds of jail and entertainment...juxtaposing, in the same person, a slowly maturing volunteer and a shallow and ever-diminshing would-be actor.

Though peppered occaisionally with selective F-bombs, the play was refreshing and it worked. The characters made you willingly suspend your disbelief. I was in jail tongiht and it wasn't even Wednesday. Sad? Dark? No way....really.

She showed a remarkable talent for capturing the manipulation by inmates, the oddness of volunteers (hmmm....), the brute strength of jailors and the very wonderfully sweet savor of the occaisional victory of individuals who just happen to be inmates. Man it was good. And funny.

Go see it? No, not if you subscribe to "throw away the key" incarceration philosophy. You'll leave perplexed. Probably, too challenged.

But if you like to grow and think, rush down there and get some tickets. It ends Feb 3. BCT is the best kept secret in the city (to conservatives, I am sure!!).

Matthew Clark, Founder & Artistic Director for BCT, is to be sincerely commended. He and his fellow creative friends have brought to Boise a decade of brillance. I'm glad to be a season ticket holder this year. Many more to come, I'm certain. Thanks, (Troy and Sue for introducing us to BCT.)

Dennis

Volunteering...and other such "time-wasting" events.

Interesting feedback on volunteering...Idaho can learn from Michigan regarding little kids learning about healing after the death of a loved one (Ele's Place). Haven't heard anything from Larry Grant's campaign. Bill Sali's campaign continues to need volunteers. If you are not familiar with Randy Stapilus' website check this out (I personally like to read Randy's work--don't always agree but I find him to be a good read and an honest author).

Ok, strap on your seat-belts for this one: It's not volunteering, but it may just change your heart so you'll want to volunteer. Over two years ago my bride and I went through an experiential training seminar. The group is out of Kansas City, MO and started an offshoot in Boise. It's called Focus Seminars. For all my liberal friends, don't worry, it's not Focus on the Family. In fact, TV's Dr. Phil had a hand in setting it up many years ago. "How's that working for ya?" 

Lastly, do you want a laugh? Think of all your favorite superheroes, cartoon friends, and reality TV stars, duking it out to determine who will "stand champion above the rest". You think either the Sali, Grant, or Hedden-Nicely campaigns could use this as their Congressional theme? Check it out here.