The Governor appeared on the Today Show yesterday to talk about his philosophy of government. During the course of the interview, the interviewer asked the Governor to comment on the criticisms of conservatives, including Rush Limbaugh, that he is not a Republican, and that he is not 
governing as a Republican. In essence, the Governor responded "Republican or Democrat is not relevant, Rush Limbaugh is irrelevant. All that matters is the people of the state of California. I represent the people." That may not be an exact quote, but I think it is fair representation of what the Governor said. This, of course, was not his attitude during the recall, when I endorsed him, or even during his re-election campaign, when he actively sought the help of Republicans. I don’t know if it is his attitude now, but that is what he said.
I recently went to see the movie, Amazing Grace, the story of William Wilberforce, whose decades long struggle to end the slave trade in England is one of the great political stories of the 18th and 19th century. Wilberforce was genuinely moved by the plight of the slaves and the inhumane conditions to which they were subjected, and spent his entire political life to ending the English slave trade. The first vote on his bill to end that trade was 16 yes, 300 no. The last vote on the bill, 35 plus years later was 300 yes, 16 no. During decades long struggle, everyone on both sides of the issue claimed that they represented "the people," whether it was the people of their districts, the people who needed the slave trade jobs, or the people who were opposed to the slave trade. It was hard to discern exactly where "the people" were.
Which is the essential problem of anyone in politics. There are two ways to approach your job. One is try to and figure out where a majority of the people are on a specific political issue, and then take that position. The other is to try and figure out what you believe is the right thing to do, and then convince a majority of the people that it is the right thing to do. The first method is a haphazard method of putting together a coherent governing structure, which causes government and political officeholders to swing and sway with the wind of the public mood. The second method creates stability and permanent majorities. The first is the officeholder trying to follow, the second is the officeholder trying to lead. The first accepts the current mood of the electorate, no matter how foolish it might be. The second tries to treat the electorate as intelligent and moral people who only need a little education to do what is right. The first is easy. The second is hard.
William Wilberforce was a leader. He knew right from wrong, and even when right was unpopular, and not "the will of the people." he persisted, ultimately persuading an intelligent and moral people to do the right thing.
I know that Rush Limbaugh treats the people as intelligent and moral, needing only a little education to do the right thing. Most people don’t care about politics. They care about their family, their community, their neighbors, and their job. It is not a fool’s errand to try and educate them, and it is not an irrelevant task. It takes work, it takes leadership, and it takes courage. I know the Governor has these character traits, and could make use of them to benefit the people of the State of California. It is his task to lead, and not follow, that is what would be of greatest benefit to "people" he chooses to represent.
[That "Total Sellout" graphic is courtesy of the creative minds at the Rush Limbaugh show – Flash]