The Democrats' Shakespearian 'Fool'

F. Scott Fitzgerald famously claimed there are no second acts in American lives and spent the rest of his life proving it. Politicians, on the other hand, are occasionally capable of reanimation, horror movie style, after a dormant period long enough for the American memory, not our strongest faculty, to fade.

Thus, once upon a time, we saw the “new Nixon” arise from the politically dead and these days we are witnessing the re-branding of the “new and improved” Hillary Clinton. In Hillary’s case, of course, we knew the monster hadn’t been completely destroyed at the end of the first movie. Merely exiled to the Senate after eight years in the White House, the Clinton’s had learned well from their Hollywood pals about setting up a sequel in the final reel.

When lesser luminaries than headliners like Nixon and Clinton suddenly see the spotlight once again, it is usually because of the vicissitudes of fate. Take, for example, Democratic presidential hopeful Mike Gravel.

Gravel is to the Democrats what Ron Paul is to the Republicans, the Shakespearian fool providing both comic relief and almost zen-like insight into the true folly of our two-party presidential marathon. Gravel represented Alaska in the Senate from 1969 to 1981, and first came to light back in the Viet Nam war era as a key figure in brokering an end to the military draft and in the public release of the infamous Pentagon Papers. Thanks for the most part to the war in Iraq, he's back on stage, however briefly.

A populist at heart, Gravel’s positions range from immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq to elimination of the IRS and institution of a “progressive” national sales tax to universal health care vouchers to decriminalization of minor drug offenses. Unlike all of the other candidates except for Ron Paul, Gravel no doubt believes in every single stand he is taking, oblivious to the pollsters and spin doctors who tailor the other candidates’ campaigns. As a predictable result, and as with Paul, there is something for everyone to like about Gravel’s platform, and something to dislike, too.

Of course, it doesn’t matter. Gravel’s chances of securing the Democratic nomination are infinitesimal. Not even Shakespeare could pull off a final act where the fool gets the crown, let alone a tragedy where everyone lives happily ever after.