A really good quote from an otherwise annoying and offensive post over at HuffPo:
"Stop voting for people you want to have a beer with. Stop voting for folksy. Stop voting for people who remind you of your neighbor. Stop voting for the ideologically intransigent, the staggeringly ignorant, and the blazingly incompetent.
Vote for someone smarter than you. Vote for someone who inspires you. Vote for someone who has not only traveled the world but who has also shown a deep understanding and compassion for it. The stakes are real and they’re terrifyingly high. This election matters. It matters. It really matters. Let me say that one more time. This. Really. Matters."
Sweet Aradia, yes. It matters. No matter how hard these camapigners try, they aren't "just one of the people". For one, that's an insult to the diversity of the American populace. We aren't all white, or hockey moms, or beer drinkers, [ad nauseum], yeah?
For another thing, it's an insult to our intelligence. No matter where you came from, if you're running for office then the person you are now is educated, has more than just personal power, is probably pretty damn wealthy, is (presumably) well-spoken, and has advantages that many of us don't.
We know that, for fuck's sake. And you know what? It doesn't matter! Hell, I want the person with thier finger on the button to have as many advantages, as much education, as much experience as freakin' necessary.
I don't want another Prez whose stupid comments are so famous they make calendars of 'em. I don't want a frat boy, I don't want someone to have a beer with or 'mate with' or watch my kids; it's not my priority if you're running a country.
I don't want another rich old white dude. Oh, and I don't want a 'military man' because frankly, leading an entire country is a nuanced job unless you're under constant martial law (and I'd like us not to be, thanks). The military is usually about simple solutions to all problems (IE, blow shit up). I don't want a leader who's used to finding simple answers, especially when they usually involve more violence.
I want diplomacy, I want intellectualism, I want someone who, even if he or she was born in some backwards town/state/decade, doesn't make it a priority to act like they never left it.
It's great to remember where you came from, to not become such an elitist that you have no empathy for those who're not so priveleged. But you should only be this obsessed with "staying true to your roots" if the song you're singing is 'Jenny From the Block'. It's a different story if your anthem is 'Hail to the Chief".
Hat tip to Smart Like Me.
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