The Fringe
What is it about politics that attracts certain (how to put this delicately) unusual people? Is it the chance for public adulation? The opportunity to satisfy an ego? To warn the world about black helicopters and Trilateralist conspiracies?
In 25 years of precinct walking, phone calling, enveloping-licking activism, I’ve certainly seen my fair share of unusual people crusading for office or causes. Sadly, such people can also attract committed volunteers who, while well-meaning, are either too na & #271;ve or so dedicated to their cause that they can’t seem to see their political savior’s obvious flaws.
The catalyst for these observations was recent news coverage of George Henry “Nick” Jesson of Fountain Valley, a GOP candidate for governor in 2002 who was sentenced to three years in the federal pen for income tax evasion.
Jesson was one of those perennial American figures who runs about disputing the legality of withholding personal income taxes,and then actually followed up on his beliefs. Jesson spent about $365,000 of his money in his futile run.
The Jesson episode points out one of the strengths of the two-party system: its competitiveness tends to weed out the fringe players. Jesson received all of 0.8% of the vote in the Republican primary.
Not so with our third parties and single issue groups, though.
A cautionary tale can be found in a July 20th article in The Washington Times about the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps and its leader, Chris Simcox.
The article reads:
“The Minuteman organization has not made any financial statements or fund-raising records public since its April 2005 creation. It also has sought and received extensions of its federal reporting requirements and has not given the Minuteman leadership, its volunteers or donors any official accounting. A financial statement promised to The Times by Mr. Simcox for May was never delivered.”
It appears Mr. Simcox, a man previously arrested for illegally carrying a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun in a national park and who once famously said he saw Chinese troops in Mexico on the U.S. border might be helping himself to the cash drawer.
Or, as he was quoted in the newspaper, ” it is no one’s business,” how he earns a living.
My bottom line advice for people with a desire to change public policy: Get active within a political party or a well-established group that properly reports donations and expenses.
Chuck DeVore
State Assemblyman, 70th District
