Constituenza

It appears that maybe the main reason for Daniel Ortega's initial obstinence in face of mounting pressure to remove troops from Costa Rican soil was because he had stumbled upon a way to rapidly and widely boost his popularity ratings.  I guess it wouldn't be the first time that happened, now would it?  I mean, it wouldn't be the first time that a politician used war or threat of war as a way to increase power and popularity.  It seems as if power carries with it a disease I will call "constituenza"  That is, a clamoring for popularity among one's constituents that often impedes the politician's ability to think or act rationally, or to do what it is they are empowered to do....help people.  Take the Republicans, for instance (now don't get your undies in a wad, I will pick on the Democrats in a moment).  Doesn't it at least seem that at election time there is an awful lot of pandering to the "middle class" and then after the election, it is those "special interests" that seem to all of a sudden capture most of their attention.  You know the ones with the fancy dinner invitations, big political party donations or, worse, under the table handouts.  The middle class seems to be left fairly under-represented in that crowd.  And are the Democrats any better?  Well not really.  They willfully accept money and perks from that same special interest crowd and then after the elections turn on them by raising their taxes (thereby engaging in a little Robin-hood style larceny).  Does anyone ever just do the right thing?  I guess that is why I am so fond of Jimmy Stewart's character in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.  He was there not to pander or politic, but only to pay homage to the power invested in him by doing something good for those he served (and that did not include primarily himself).  Ortega now has backed off his hard-line stance, but the pandering continues as he claims that in no way is he doing this out of fear of the Costa Ricans.  I mean for a Nicaraguan to be afraid of a Costa Rican...that would be like claiming that Juan Santamaria once whipped Sandino in a fist-fight!  Wars get started over stupid idiotic pride and a lust for power that clouds the minds of dim-witted politicos like Daniel Ortega, who would rather be polemic than prescient.