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Teachers Opinion Jim Kiser: Mecham lesson: Beware of overconfident politicians Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.24.2004 advertisement Even those who wanted to force former Gov. Evan Mecham from office, as I wanted to, can feel sympathy for him and his family now that it has been revealed he is suffering from symptoms of dementia. "The doctors are having a hard time diagnosing it," Dennis Mecham, one of the former governor's seven children, told the Associated Press. "His (physical) health is not in question at this time. . . . He could live another 10 years." The former governor is 80. The news turned my thoughts to 1986, when Mecham was elected and I was editor and publisher of Arizona Trend, a new Phoenix-based business magazine. Shortly after the election, the magazine's managing editor and I interviewed Mecham in his temporary offices, where he and his transition team were preparing "a new beginning" for Arizona. I disagreed with Mecham on almost everything. But it was hard that November afternoon not to respect the fact that he spoke sincerely and candidly, though some of his comments were appalling. No matter what else Mecham was, he was not a pre-programmed, focus-group-directed politician. He said what he believed, not what he thought you wanted to hear. A Republican, he ran unsuccessfully for governor three times. He finally won on his fourth try only because a popular Democrat entered the race as an independent and split the Democratic vote. "It took a lot of persistence to run, to be defeated, to run, to be defeated," we said to Mecham in the interview. "I was never defeated," Mecham replied. "I just got fewer votes than the other guy. There is a difference you know. It's like being poor. Other people are poor, and others don't have any money. I grew up with that atmosphere. We didn't have any money, but I never felt poor in my life. A lot of things are a frame of mind. "In every single case I ran because at the time it looked like the thing to do, because there wasn't anybody else who would do what needed to be done." As I read those words now, I cannot help but respect, and somewhat fear, the sense of self-confidence that Mecham always exuded. He was the most self-assured person I have ever met. He appeared never to second-guess himself, never to look in a mirror and ask, "Who am I? What am I doing here?" The interview that afternoon focused on his goals for the state. He told us how he was going to market Arizona throughout the world by opening offices in Brussels and Tokyo, stop tax increases, increase agricultural exports and shore up mining. Most important politically, he vowed again to rescind the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday that his predecessor, Bruce Babbitt, had declared in the final days of his administration. He argued King did not deserve a state holiday, and he insisted Babbitt had declared it illegally. In explaining his position, Mecham made a statement that became momentarily famous after Playboy magazine picked it up from our interview. "It has nothing to do with race," he said. "I'm not a racist. I've got black friends. I employ black people. I don't employ them because they're black. I employ them because they are the best people who applied for the cotton-picking job." That statement summed up Mecham's problem. His lack of introspection, his lack of self-doubt, his absolute self-confidence ultimately betrayed him. He never questioned himself enough to recognize the insensitivity others would see in his use of that phrase, "cotton-picking." Because he never doubted himself, Mecham never understood how or why others could doubt him. Thus, his self-assurance at other times allowed him to defend his use of the word "pickaninny" and to declare Phoenix Gazette columnist John Kolbe a "non-person." It also prompted former Sen. Barry Goldwater to say it was impossible to give advice to Mecham because he had an 800 line to God. I wrote a column for the magazine every issue, and after Mecham had been in office only eight months, I threw my support behind a growing recall effort. The recall proved unnecessary. Mecham's rescission of the King holiday led to his ultimate impeachment in 1988, though the actual charges on which he was thrown out of office dealt with obstruction of justice and misuse of funds. In arguing for the recall, I wrote at the time that I wanted a governor who unites us to solve our problems; who teaches us to be more caring, compassionate and humane; who shows us how to be more flexible, enthusiastic and capable. Reading those words again, after all these years, I still want those traits in our leaders. And with this year's elections just nine days away, I still fear politicians who are supremely self-confident. ● Jim Kiser's column appears Sundays and Wednesdays. Contact him at jkiser@azstarnet.com, 573-4597, or PO Box 26807, Tucson, AZ 85726. Find previous columns at: www.azstarnet.com/kiser ven those who wanted to force former Gov. Evan Mecham from office, as I wanted to, can feel sympathy for him and his family now that it has been revealed he is suffering from symptoms of dementia."The doctors are having a hard time diagnosing it," Dennis Mecham, one of the former governor's seven children, told the Associated Press. "His (physical) health is not in question at this time. . . . He could live another 10 years." The former governor is 80.The news turned my thoughts to 1986, when Mecham was elected and I was editor and publisher of Arizona Trend, a new Phoenix-based business magazine.Shortly after the election, the magazine's managing editor and I interviewed Mecham in his temporary offices, where he and his transition team were preparing "a new beginning" for Arizona.I disagreed with Mecham on almost everything. But it was hard that November afternoon not to respect the fact that he spoke sincerely and candidly, though some of his comments were appalling.No matter what else Mecham was, he was not a pre-programmed, focus-group-directed politician. He said what he believed, not what he thought you wanted to hear.A Republican, he ran unsuccessfully for governor three times. He finally won on his fourth try only because a popular Democrat entered the race as an independent and split the Democratic vote."It took a lot of persistence to run, to be defeated, to run, to be defeated," we said to Mecham in the interview."I was never defeated," Mecham replied. "I just got fewer votes than the other guy. There is a difference you know. It's like being poor. Other people are poor, and others don't have any money. I grew up with that atmosphere. We didn't have any money, but I never felt poor in my life. A lot of things are a frame of mind."In every single case I ran because at the time it looked like the thing to do, because there wasn't anybody else who would do what needed to be done."As I read those words now, I cannot help but respect, and somewhat fear, the sense of self-confidence that Mecham always exuded. He was the most self-assured person I have ever met. He appeared never to second-guess himself, never to look in a mirror and ask, "Who am I? What am I doing here?"The interview that afternoon focused on his goals for the state. He told us how he was going to market Arizona throughout the world by opening offices in Brussels and Tokyo, stop tax increases, increase agricultural exports and shore up mining.Most important politically, he vowed again to rescind the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday that his predecessor, Bruce Babbitt, had declared in the final days of his administration.He argued King did not deserve a state holiday, and he insisted Babbitt had declared it illegally.In explaining his position, Mecham made a statement that became momentarily famous after Playboy magazine picked it up from our interview."It has nothing to do with race," he said. "I'm not a racist. I've got black friends. I employ black people. I don't employ them because they're black. I employ them because they are the best people who applied for the cotton-picking job."That statement summed up Mecham's problem. His lack of introspection, his lack of self-doubt, his absolute self-confidence ultimately betrayed him. He never questioned himself enough to recognize the insensitivity others would see in his use of that phrase, "cotton-picking."Because he never doubted himself, Mecham never understood how or why others could doubt him. Thus, his self-assurance at other times allowed him to defend his use of the word "pickaninny" and to declare Phoenix Gazette columnist John Kolbe a "non-person." It also prompted former Sen. Barry Goldwater to say it was impossible to give advice to Mecham because he had an 800 line to God.I wrote a column for the magazine every issue, and after Mecham had been in office only eight months, I threw my support behind a growing recall effort.The recall proved unnecessary. Mecham's rescission of the King holiday led to his ultimate impeachment in 1988, though the actual charges on which he was thrown out of office dealt with obstruction of justice and misuse of funds.In arguing for the recall, I wrote at the time that I wanted a governor who unites us to solve our problems; who teaches us to be more caring, compassionate and humane; who shows us how to be more flexible, enthusiastic and capable.Reading those words again, after all these years, I still want those traits in our leaders.And with this year's elections just nine days away, I still fear politicians who are supremely self-confident. Copyright © 2007 Go Back