Number(s) of The Beast

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Numbers tell the story.

I work with numbers all day long. Numbers tell you the truth about what’s going on, if you can manage to be neutral when evaluating them. People – in all our marvelously complicated screwed-up glory – make the world go around. But numbers are how you make sense of it all.

I’ve been reading mostly lately, not commenting or writing my little stories. But the discussion here the last couple of days about defeating evil Republicans vs. how the Democrats are ‘worse than evil’ for enabling evil — well it gets the juices flowing.

I believe in nuance, in all sorts of shades of grey, yet I also believe there is an objective truth to many if not most issues. This contradiction fuels my life in many ways. But I believe complex issues can be explained through detailed analysis and empirical review. Science for lack of a better term.

So — you want some numbers that I think will help decipher our modern day political code? Six (plus one) are humbly presented below. A warning in advance, I’m avoiding links on purpose for narrative purposes. Google is our friend.

The first number – 140. That’s a rough consensus estimate of how many days per year each of our elected members of government spend FUND RAISING to get re-elected whenever the next time comes around. It’s marginally better in the Senate, with their 6-year terms, but the overall effect on our system is unbelievable.

The next number – $2.5 Billion. That’s the estimated dollar figure spent in 2006 alone on lobbying of our Congress and federal agencies. This number keeps going up every year, in spite of half-hearted efforts to control spending by lobbyists. These first two numbers (140 days and 2.5 billion dollars per year) explain a huge percentage of what happens in our government today.

Another number – 48.  This is the estimated number of Blue / Bush Dog Democrats in Congress, combining both the Senate and House. These ‘fine’ ladies and gents are a big reason we have an enabling Democratic Congress today. The Democratic majorities are slim enough that these 48 have a disproportionate share of power over many of the elected Democrats who want to do the right thing but don’t have, well – the numbers. I like to keep this in mind before giving completely into anger towards our ‘side’ when I think of the mess we’re in.

Ok – so those are three daunting numbers that are working against us today. But amazingly we also have some numbers working in our favor.

First, the number 32 is our friend. That’s the average approval rating for President Bush these past two years. It is the longest any President has remained at such a pathetic figure of support. You see, in spite of the traditional media, and in my view thanks to new media such as the intertoobs, the truth is getting out there. This low approval rating will help us this November to reduce the influence the 48 Bush Dogs, unless of course we do something stupid like nominate for President someone every single Republican can unite behind in anger and hate. But we wouldn’t be that dumb, would we? Nah. Ok – back to the narrative.

This leads directly to the next positive number – $32 million. That’s the amount raised by one of our challengers for the Presidency in January alone. Coincidently, 32 shows up twice on our side, but sometimes that’s the way it works. As usual, our friends in the traditional media completely miss the mark when deciphering the meaning behind this number. It’s huge. And it’s great for our team. Numbers like $32 million give us power, and the ability to craft our message regardless of the forces against us.

A third number on our side is 346. That’s how many (few) days we have left until we can turn the chapter on the Bush years, start the long process of recovery, and allow history to lurch back towards inevitable progress. Sometimes these blips occur. For us, we are lucky in a way that there remains only a blink in time until we can start again. Our democracy protects us to a certain extent against the likes of this pathetic administration. And we’re now into the home stretch. Thank goodness.

The final number?

ONE. As in you. And me. What can one person do in the face of all the crap going on? Well, the objective truth is very little. No one voice, no one idea will save the world. The best one person can do is keep an open mind, learn as much as possible, and teach those around us about the truth as we see it. Individually – there is no such thing as stopping ‘evil’. Collectively, we can do much more. There IS plenty of opportunity to make the world a little better if we band together, but along the way we will be essentially alone. Alone together – against numbers that align against us. I am confident that in the end – we will prevail. Funny how life is, but I do have faith. Faith in each one of us.

One may be the loneliest number, but it’s all any of us have. And it will be good enough, if we maintain our relationship with hope.

Cheers.