Though he never came out and said it, the reason Colin Powell did not run for president and why he said that he would not run for elective office speaks volumes about what's wrong with our political system.

Clearly, a person of Powell's capability, character, honesty and integrity simply could not compromise himself to the money and madness of a political campaign in the pursuit of personal power.

President-elect Bush could not have done better than to select Dick Cheney as vice president and to nominate Colin Powell for Secretary of State. Indeed, they will have to salvage the foreign blunders and domestic excess the Clinton Administration wrought upon country over the past eight years.

Hopefully, the debacle of the 2000 presidential election will tip the balance of power to America's electorate. Hopefully, the result will be secure high tech voting networks, more voter participation, and nonpartisan elections and government.

And hopefully, people like Colin Powell will be elected to manage government based upon their real qualifications, not their political party, and not the special interests or moneyed interests behind them.

Daniel B. Jeffs, founder
The Direct Democracy Center