I do not understand the people who want a president who is just like them. I want a president who is better than I am.
Right? I'm a smart person (that's not me being egotistical; I refuse to pretend I'm not smart because it "isn't acceptable" to acknowledge one's own strengths). And yet, I don't want someone *as smart as* me in office. Fuck no. I'd destroy the planet if I were POTUS. I want someone WAY smarter than me in office.
I think that the people who say they can relate to Palin, who say they like Shrub because he's "folksy," are people who really believe that that imagined affinity is reciprocal; if *they* can related to Palin, then surely *she* can relate to *them.* And if she relates to them, then she'll be on their side when she's in office.
I'm fairly certain that's been widely disproven with Shrub; the people he relates to, in the sense of "passing legislation that makes their lives easier," are big-business owners, NOT the people who think he's "folksy." He's SCREWED the people who think he's "folksy."
Why they don't see that, and don't think that Palin will do the same damn thing is beyond my comprehension.
I think that the people who say they can relate to Palin, who say they like Shrub because he's "folksy," are people who really believe that that imagined affinity is reciprocal
Yep. The whole "who would you want to have a beer with" line of crap is predicated on "and of course he would just
lurve
to have a beer with you". And Reagan? Wouldn't. Shrub? Wouldn't. Ross Perot? Lord knows he probably would, because who the hell else does he have to drink with and ramble at...
And yet, I don't want someone *as smart as* me in office.
I've said it a thousand times. The biggest shock of my life...a life filled with pretty big stuff...was moving to DC and discovering that the people who run this country are not, in fact, smarter than me.
Did I say shock, there? I misspelled "disappointment."
I'm working on a theory that people like W and Palin
because
they know that they're phonies. They see in them the same things that they see in themselves -- that they're just faking it -- they don't really believe the things that their church and community require them to say.
It's just a theory, I haven't really developed it.
Are they living in the same country now?!?!
They are. But not in the same town.
Teppy and others - yeah ideally I'd like Brainiac 5 (the good one from the future). But failing that I'd like a bright well intentioned person rather than a stupid malignant one. Teppy if the choice is you or Obama, OK you prefer Obama. But what if the choice was you or Bush? Or you or McCain? Or you or Palin? (On the other side of this argument, Noam Chomsky was once asked the first thing he'd do if elected president. His reply: "I'd shoot myself".)
Home stretch. Dear god, this is crazy. I can do this. I swear I can do this. I need a shower. And lunch. And maybe more smokes. I have to put teh towels in the laundry. Finish this chapter and get to the next. And then it will be done.
Send karma this way.
I don't know that I would have done a better job than Bush, frankly, because I would have spent all my time avoiding work with you people!
King Log would have been better than King Stork.
We could probably rule by committee pretty well.
