Partisan His Confusion

Last week Liz had an interesting post on Mayor Mike that dealt with Bloomberg's strikingly prescient observation that one part rule wouldn't be good for New York State: "Bloomberg did say that he thinks it's "terribly important to government to have multiple parties having influence. While calling himself "as non-partisan, I guess, as you can be," Bloomberg insisted that one party rule is even worse than the two-party wrangling against which he is always railing.
"History has shown that when one party dominates all branches of any government there's not the normal checks and balances to try to make sure all points of views are included and that the decisions that are made are decisions that try to encompass as many people as possible," Bloomberg said."

Quite the political scientist, isn't he? Of course, as Liz wryly observes, it is the partisan wrangling that Mayor Mike likes to give the impression that he is always rising elegantly above. We guess that the mayor just doesn't quite get the essence of the democratic political system; and understand how important the partisan wrangling is for real democracy to exist.

What it underscores for us is just how much the nonpartisan mantra is pure smokescreen for the personal ambitions of the mayor-and really nothing else of any substance. Democracy is a process, one that we often get the best results from when it gets as messy and contentious as possible. The great man theory holds no attraction for us; especially when the putative greatness is exposed as little more than high end store bought goods.