David Friedli

By the Dashboard Lights

January 31, 2008

A Giant Slipup

I watched and listened with awe in 1969 as Neil Armstrong moved away from the lunar excursion module and made his way onto the surface of the moon while saying those infamous words, “That’s one small step for man…one giant leap for mankind.”

Upon safely returning to Earth, Armstrong learned he had actually blown the statement he had rehearsed time and time again: “That’s one small step for a man…one giant leap for mankind.”

Armstrong regretted the mistake and actually tried to convince everyone he had said “a man”, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration claimed static in the broadcast audio had covered the missing word.

“A man” means a singular person. Mankind and man, when used as Armstrong did, refers to all humanity.

As stated, the quote is contradictory: something can’t be both a small step and a giant leap.

Regardless, Armstrong’s words are legendary, and most folks don’t quibble over the grammatical details.

In the next week, the Nebraska Democratic Party attempts to make its own giant leap into the political arena of Presidential politics with a caucus primary on Saturday, February 9.

Moving the party’s delegate voting earlier and closer to the famed and traditionally meaningful Super Tuesday state primaries is a bold attempt to gain recognition for the political underdog in Nebraska.

Caucuses, a system of friendly town-hall meetings where people engage in discussion, friendly debate and finally in a one person/one vote determination of a winner, are meant to bring a new excitement to the political process and a sense of importance to the election of convention delegates.

Unfortunately, this small step into caucuses may not be a leap at all. It may be simply a small step, or worse.

I’m a registered Democrat. I’m also a faithful voter. I don’t miss elections, regardless of the political office at stake.

But I am feeling as far away from this process as the moon is from the Earth.

I have a commitment on Saturday, February 9 at 1:00 PM, which is when the Burt County caucus will be held.

The one and only caucus location in Burt County is at the Tekamah Auditorium.

Twenty-five miles away. One location. Be there on time, or be shut out.

Somehow, the friendly “we are family” idea of a countywide caucus is lost when one considers the number of dedicated citizens for whom traveling across the county to cast a vote is a true hardship.

In larger cities there are dozens of caucus locations, based on precincts. Those who attend might have to travel a matter of blocks, not miles, to have their vote counted and for their opinion to count.

In a political world where absentee ballots exist for those who can’t physically make it to the polls and there are discussions about voting by mail and on-line, the caucus system—a least one which requires extraordinary effort to attend—smacks of decision-making by a privileged few: those with nothing else to do on a Saturday afternoon, those with the means to travel a distance regardless of the weather, and those for whom politics are priority.

I don’t want to hear the argument, “If you really wanted to, you would be there.” Or, “This is about delegates, not candidates.” We can debate that for hours.

Being involved in party politics and political activity should take significant effort.

Having a vote and having it be meaningful should be easy. Easy for a man and for mankind.