I worry about our susceptibility to enthusiasms in our country. Particularly political ones. Scott Brown is all the rage now, and I saw where he was asked about his "presidential ambitions" immediately after he won the senate election in MA. I was gratified that he all but called it a silly question.
Remember Palin? I mean in 2008. The enthusiasm for her was like a prairie fire. Plenty of folks still like her, of course. Heck, I like her, too, but I don't think she belongs in the White House.
Lots of people outright worshipped John Edwards and look at what a sorry spectacle he has become.
There are just too many examples of this tendency to embrace a quickly rising star with too little reason. Sadly, our own president is a case in point. There's no denying that he was an "enthusiasm." He still is for many, but I think the bloom is off the rose now and the inevitable fate of such rabid, quickly-formed enthusiasms has set in. How low he will ultimately fall remains to be seen, but at this point it doesn't look good for him.
If I had my druthers I'd rather that we all became grumpy old skeptics where our politics are concerned. Put aside the desire for a savior or a quick-fix and really look these people over. Get behind the smiles and the rhetoric. Apparently to do that well we need to fire the so-called mainstream media, as they are very poor at this job. They'd be a lot better, maybe, if they just disliked them all and went from there.
But it's funny when you think about it: In 2012 Scott Brown will have had more experience than Obama did when he ran. It's a funny business this American politics. And not always funny-ha-ha.
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All those aspiring to political office should be treated as though they are liars and cheats, baby eaters, snake oil salesmen and whatever else takes your fancy. Only when they can conclusively prove they are none of the above should we begin to look at their credentials and possible attributes for office.
Expecting the MSM to do any of this is asking for them to actually do some research and legwork, which will never happen while they can regurgitate press releases and get paid for it.
This is not an exclusively US phenomenom, it occurs all over the world where a nobody can become a somebody by attaining political office.
I am a confirmed sceptic of anyone apart from my wife having my best interests at heart. pollies the world over are only interested in themselves and their re-election. anything else is an adjunct to that.
I have to Amen that.
I think people are looking for a savior. Things are so bad , that an average person can't pull the nose up and get us out of a dive. We need a "maga-human" and when there are not any we invent them.
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