I will leave the commentary on the campaign, election, presidential candidates and vice presidential candidates to more qualified bloggers, pundits, and the less-qualified who just can't help themselves, both because I'm not qualified beyond the oversaturation of news I take in each day and the stuff I subsequently look up to decode the news I take in each day; and because I'd like to sort of get my blog to a regular schedule and sort of on a consistent topic.
But I have to say this: Why does Ms. Palin think it's "time that normal Joe Six-pack American is finally represented in the position of vice presidency?" Really? Why on Earth would I want Joe Six-Pack, or any of his inexperienced kin, running this country? Shouldn't we rather prefer a president and vice president who are not the everyman? Who are better, or more experienced than the everyman, at least with regards to running a country, working with the judicial and legislative branches, foreign policy, the economy, and understanding both the power and responsibility that goes with such a role? I mean, McCain, Palin, Obama, or Biden can be dumber than me about literature, or computer code, or plumbing, or the exact science behind science, or how to make enchiladas or the relative hotness of actors appearing on the Sci-Fi channel, or really any number of other things, important or unimportant, so long as they're smarter and more experienced than me where running a country is concerned. I would assume most people who happen to be both smart enough to purchase a six-pack and not possessing any special political or executive administration expertise or knowledge -- which is most people -- feel the same way. I mean, if we're going with that philosophy -- it being time for everyone to be represented in positions, to hell with experience or qualifications -- then how about preacher with chronic Tourette's Syndrome? How about junk-food-addicted nutritionist? Why should my doctor have to have studied and practiced before he operates on me? Hell, I should've skipped the master's degree I just got; why not just start teaching college courses right now? I'm sure my opinions and vague forays into writing qualified me completely before I ever started my more intense studies or got any real professional chops. And besides that, aren't we kind of at a point where we'd like to erase the picture the international community has of Americans as a bunch of Homer Simpsons?
Does she really think we'll all say "Oh gosh golly gee, she's a commoner! Let's elect her right away!" (To which I'm sure Ms. Palin would respond "You betcha I think so! It's all about shoring up support for the common folk, and ... Alaska ... Job creation ... See, it's all about being a maverick! And if you want examples, I'll bring 'em to ya!" Or something like that.)
I think the American people are smarter than that, even if we all act like Joe Six-Pack.
EDIT: Read this article, which is far less bitchy and brings up an even better point, one that was bothering me even though I wasn't smart enough to articulate it. People are people, after all. I don't think voters much appreciate being reduced to a one-liner, like we're that supporting character on a show whose only role is to be the wise old guy or send the kids off or show up and say "Did someone say sausage?" We all have richer lives than that. Even if the candidates don't have time to address all the nuances of our different lives (and they don't), they would do well to acknowledge they exist.
6 comments:
So glad to read your comments, for this is what I have been thinking about for quite a while this fall campaign season. Lessee, pick one: folksy-snarky-perky-pretty "hockey mom" OR articulate-educated-polite-Constitutional Law expert? If anyone finds it is too hard to pick, then I hope that person does not vote. Egad, what will the global view be if our next president changes from a cowboy to a hothead who may be succeeded by a Mrs. Joe Six-Pack Moose-Killer who looks forward to End Times!
Well stated. I just can't believe that McCain and the Republican Party believe that Hillary's followers will vote for Palin just because she's a woman. For crying out loud, the stances are 180 degrees opposite! The fact that she could become the VP is really scary. If we think Bush and Cheney have given the U.S. a bad reputation world-wide, it's only going to get worse. And I totally agree with your point that I don't want someone like me running the country...I want someone who knows how to run a country running the country! (But, then again, I can't see Russia from Pennsylvania, so I guess maybe I'm speaking out of line!)
I think you owe me like forty blog comments. ;-)
Only because you're more prolific and post more often on your blog. Oh, wait...
Yeah, I'll step up my game. You do give us all a bit to measure up to.
(Yeah, I'm ending on a preposition. I'm tired. But I was still already planning to comment on your blog. Just don't expect eloquence.)
I actually disagree with you here, Kim. I think that the common people have a stronger sense of what would do them good than the rich people do, and I think that electing someone from their own ranks would probably have more positive effects.
(Perhaps I should also mention that I don't think McCain or Palin represent the common man. Rather, they represent the rich and the stupid, respectively.)
I get your point. I hadn't really thought of it in a rich versus non-rich way, so much as a layperson versus expert way. I may be naive to think anyone around the "business" long enough to build up expertise will look out for the rest of us, but I want an expert to do it. We know what we want and maybe even what's best for us, sure, but I don't think laypeople (with regards to politics and government) can manipulate the system and get the appropriate parties at the table to get those best things done. I think of it this way: when I had my cable installed, the cable guy wanted this wacky setup that didn't conform at all to what my husband or I had in mind. He thought it was best. Eventually, I talked him into accommodating me, which is good, because I hired him, and could fire him. But I couldn't install the cable. He had to listen to me, and then still use his expertise and what he thought was best to implement it, because I couldn't actually implement it. I still kept an eye on the installation to make sure he did what I hired him to do, and he explained it to me as best he could, but at the end of the day he's the expert at installing cable. Make sense?
And yeah, I know we differ on the role-of-government issue. But hey, at least we can still bitch at each other about our significant others' views. ;-)
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