20160317 (modest proposal)

At some point there should be a tie--and the race re-run

Coming in a tenth of a second

Behind the first guy marks you

The “First Loser,” not quite as

Glamorous as the term “Second”

Was once regarded. I haven’t 

Liked competition exactly for 

That reason. In the world of

Contests, most notably sports,

“Almost as good” translates 

Too simply to “not good enough.” 

Not good enough for what? 

Temporary glory? Such slight

Differences argue for revision

Of what is meant by winning 

If the flutter of a leaf along the

Way can determine who won. 

But what company wants to 

Claim as spokesperson the one

Who came in second—“Yeah,

But the second guy wore the 

Same brand shoes!" Sorry, no

Hefty contract for you! Nobody

Knows you. Who remembers the 

Short list for last year’s Pulitzer?

Or National Book Award? Or the

Pritzker for architecture? I hate

The Oscars and Emmys but at

Least they show five nominated

For the top who get some notice.

But they don’t let you know

Whether the winners won by 

Only one vote or massively

Trounced the others. Do they

Have a write-in procedure for

Some pearls not nominated?

No one elaborates on how

One offering or competitor

Was so much preferable to the

Rest. I’d like to hear the reasoning.

And what about the influence

Of studio-sponsored advertising?

You could make the same case in

Politics. Media covers campaigns

As horseraces—“Polls this week

Have Hooligan over Assface by

Sixteen points. That’s quite an

Upset in Michigan.” But they 

Don’t dwell on issues short of

Misinterprable buzzwards: “He’s

A Socialist!” They’re not serving

The requirements of their licenses

If they don’t inform the public, yet

They’re allowed to rake in money

From campaigns as never before.

It’s in their interest that parties

Advertise excessively. Despite the

Corruption involved in making 

Candidates for offices high or low

Devote a third to a half of their

Waking hours to drumming up

Support to pay the media bills.

When we, citizens, who really own

The airwaves, try to force the 

Licensees to provide free airtime

To all candidates as part of campaign

Finance reform, media lobbyists

Howl as if we shrank their 

Shoes. Would that be too fair—

Limiting ad budgets but giving

Each the same exposure? I can only

Imagine candidates so restricted

Would do everything possible to

Get free news coverage—juggling

Naked on Public Square, perhaps,

Or serving as judges for Dancing

With the Stars. Picking the winner

Is hard, harder yet when you control

Who gets to pick. We can only

Guess how many will be denied

Their chance to vote in this contest.

We still haven’t changed the rules

As I suggest they should in sports:

Winning by a tenth of a second? Not

Good enough. Re-race. Winning by 

One vote? Out of how many 

Millions? Don’t just recount—

Re-vote.

c. J.S.Manista, 2016