So Long for Now, Berkshires
by Bill Shein

The first column I wrote for The Berkshire Eagle was a bittersweet remembrance of former Illinois Sen. Paul Simon, who died in December 2003.

Paul was one of those rare public servants respected across the political spectrum for his common sense, insight, prescience and passionate commitment to government that makes a real difference in people's lives.

The path of my life, and my view of the world, was permanently altered by Paul's entry into the 1988 presidential race in May 1987. A few months later, I dropped out — er, took a "personal leave of absence" — from Tufts University to join his campaign in New Hampshire.

For half a year, I traveled around New England recruiting students for door-to-door canvassing in the Granite State, brimming over with the idealistic spirit that a presidential campaign imbues in its young, perhaps naive, staff members.

In 1988, Paul was the definition of dark-horse candidate: a largely unknown, goofy-looking man who wore a bow tie, spoke in a deep, sonorous voice, and had the audacity to propose both a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget and a massive jobs program to give unemployed Americans productive work, and, therefore, a self-esteem-boosting way to contribute to their communities.

As you know, there was never a President Paul Simon. But what he left in his wake, aside from a long list of legislative achievements, are former staffers and American citizens who believe that our political and economic systems can work far better. That whatever today's challenge, it doesn't have to be this way. With determination and effort, things can change, and nearly anything is possible.

That's why this week I'll leave our beloved Berkshires for Takoma Park, Md., on the edge of Washington, D.C., to work on a project that aims to change the way we elect the president of the United States.

As with 70 percent of Americans, I believe that a national popular vote — where every vote in every state is equal and meaningful — is far better than the current system that makes many of us merely spectators to the quadrennial contest to fill the planet's most powerful office.

If you're a Republican in Massachusetts or a Democrat in Texas or a Libertarian in New York or a Green in Wyoming, your vote should matter. No one should have to drive to so-called "battleground states" such as Ohio or Florida to make his or her voice heard.

When choosing the one person who represents all of us, the battleground should be every square inch of the United States of America, the players every single eligible voter who lives here.

In the coming months, I'll have more to say about the many benefits of direct election and how it would invigorate our democracy at a time when our democracy desperately needs invigorating. But for now, ponder this: That it's not just who we elect, but how we elect them that establishes the priorities of government and the direction of the nation.

Even though I'll return to the Berkshires someday, it's tough to leave my crooked little house on a hill. I'll miss gazing out my window to see furry woodland creatures strolling about, foraging for food, playing croquet, and smoking their cute little corncob pipes while they sip absinthe from hollowed-out acorns.

I'll also miss the camaraderie of the regulars at Coffee Shop in Great Barrington, where so much writing was done, so many hyperlinks to hilarious online video clips were shared, and the entertainment value of instant-messaging someone sitting just 3 feet away was firmly established.

Most of all, though, I'll miss the kind, quirky people I've had the wonderful opportunity to get to know up here — and that includes the kind, quirky people who regularly stroll outside my window dressed as furry woodland creatures, often requiring me to call the cops.

And with that, I'm off, fully aware of the challenge ahead. Indeed, after the contested 2000 election, which saw a candidate with the most votes sent home to his Tennessee farm (and fancy Nashville McMansion), even my old boss Paul Simon said, "I think if somebody gets the majority vote, they should be president. But I don't think the system is going to be changed."

Thanks to what I first discovered during that long-ago presidential campaign, I respectfully disagree with his prediction. Because with determination and effort, Paul, anything's possible.

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(This column originally appeared in the Berkshire Eagle newspaper on May 28, 2006. Join a discussion about this column in Bill's blog. And read Bill's previous column, "Some Amendments We Need").