SAILING IN POLITICAL
WINDS
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Taking on a new administration is like tacking a sailboat. As a nation, we have practiced this maneuver 45 different times. We are actually good at it. It goes like this:
.
“Ready About”
calls the helmsman. A crewmember, at the
leeward winch, swings the loose jib-sheet twice around its barrel, inserts the
winch handle, and shouts, “Ready!” The windward
member, still controlling the taut opposing line, gives his signal, “Ready!” They remain poised, waiting for the command to
come-about.
The command “Hard-a-lee!” propels
the sailors into motion. The vessel arches
into and through the wind, until her sails catch the breeze on the other side. When the crewmembers complete their tasks,
(one casting off his line, while the other secures and trims his), they both spring
to the newly uplifted rail to help right the heeling force of the wind. The maneuver sends the boat in a new direction,
about 30-45 degrees from its former heading, yet ultimately, beating toward the
same mark.
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So then,
here we are. During the campaign, we all
heard the preparatory command, “Ready About!”
Everyone knew the directional change was coming. Those on the windward side (the right),
responsible for managing the winds force after the turn, moved into possession,
and shouted, “Ready!” Likewise, from the
voting sailors’ station on the leeward side (the left), the shout came, “Ready!”
However, neither the casting off side
(the left) nor the tensioning side (the right) was actually ready when vessel came
about.
.
I have been in
a number of races when this happened. It
is never good. 1) It looks sloppy. 2) It slows the boat down. 3) It causes tension among the crewmembers. 4) It almost certainly means winning is out of
the question.
.
Nonetheless,
there are several good things about a poorly executed tack. 1) Sloppy
tacking will not sink the boat; IF when
it comes-about, the casting-off members actually cast-off their line, otherwise,
capsizing is possible. Let go. 2) The boat
can continue the race; IF those who are
trimmers will in fact trim the sail properly. Try not to get in the way. 3) The
boat can not only round the mark, but also finish the race: IF the new course is not much more than
45 degrees off the previous heading. Crewmembers
must all cooperatively coordinate their actions, without approving harm or danger.
.
Finally, don’t
forget; 1) rounding the mark is still a ways off and will require several more
tacks. 2) Shortly, we will hear the
command again, “Ready About!” Instead of
simply nodding “Ready,” each crewmember needs to do his part, even if that is
nothing more than casting a vote. 3) The
race is not over even when we round the marker ahead, which in this case is, midterm
primaries, and elections. 4) We should concentrate
far less on winning or losing and more on joyfully finishing the race. Therefore, don’t give-up, and neglect your
duty, rather do your part, and SAIL ON.
