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Diversity is one reason I read Roger Simon every day. When he chooses to write on politics he will praise or a take to task the right or the left. I could not let this article pass by without sharing, not because of politics but rather the take on being a politician today.
It’s because I’m not good enough an actor. My real thoughts and feelings pop out too easily.
I don’t regret this for a second. I wouldn’t want to be a politician. I want to stick with my own opinions, thank you. And my own self. The need for political victory not only distorts what you think and feel, it distorts it to such a degree that you probably no longer remember what you thought and felt in the first place. You have become a creature of your own prevarications. You are … someone new.
That politicians are inauthentic human beings is not exactly news, but it has been exacerbated in our times by their high visibility . They are forced to give their opinions on virtually all matters in a non-stop all-news cycle. These opinions are in turn crafted to appeal to constituencies (often the “base” in primaries, then the “center” in the general election) much in the manner products are crafted for consumers. They are, in essence, phony - and we the consumers (the voters) know it. How could we not? Yet we - with the media as the all-too-willing promoter - participate in this charade.
Mr. Simon, I would not presume to speak for others but as for me, these few paragraphs speak volumes.
Written by Sue
~J~ Says:
April 28th, 2007 at 5:10 pmVisit ~J~
You can presume to speak for me because I agree with you.
It didn’t used to be that way. Think of elections before the mass media. The candidates gave their stump speeches and then went inside the train and on to the next whistlestop, but while going there could be themselves.
Now they have cameras and microphones thrust in their faces all the time and they have to be “on” all the time.
I think that’s one thing I like about President Bush. When he’s not speaking to the cameras he seems like an ordinary fellow, and when he is speaking before the cameras we all cringe because he mangles the language so badly, and that’s endearing to me.
Big Mo Says:
April 28th, 2007 at 11:27 pmVisit Big Mo
Sue - Agreed! And just wait until I get to William Henry Harrison in my presidents series. He was the first, how shall I put it … truly “inauthentic” candidate for president. Meaning, he was certainly crafted to fit a certain image, fom what I know so far.
Sue Says:
April 28th, 2007 at 11:37 pmVisit Sue
Big Mo:
I cannot wait. Your series is something we wait for every week. May I ask your opinion of Harry Truman as I felt he was a straight talker and the last to use the “whistle stop” type of campaign which took a message directly to the people.
Do you feel that even then the authenticity of the person was less than what was seen? It seems to me in reading Truman that he was his own man. If you have a minute could you please let me know what you think?
Thanks.
Big Mo Says:
April 29th, 2007 at 7:05 pmVisit Big Mo
Sue - THANKS!! (and thanks to J for re-posting these here.) I like Truman a lot (and not just because he’s a Missourian
Harry S. was, as you say, a strait talker. He spoke his mind and didn’t give a rip if you didn;t like it.
None of today’s Democrats measure up to him — only Lieberman comes close, because I know for darn sure he wouldn’t be pulling the same crud Ried and those other clowns are doing. (For that matter, few GOPers measure up to him either).
Truman had huge shoes to fill when he became prez, and he did so admirably. He’s the kind of Democrat I USED to be.
If you want to get a good handle on the unvarnished Truman, you could read his “Where the Buck Stops,” published pothsumously by his daughter. I largely agree with what he wrote, except his thoughts on Grant, Ike and Jackson.