A little background
For the non-masochists among you:
Although the presidential election will not take place until November 2016, the campaign has already begun. It will heat up in early 2016, as the primary elections (part of the process by which the parties selects their nominees) begin.
In the Republican Party (the challenger) there is an ever-growing field of possible candidates. The Party has a problem in that it has, just about unanimously, been in denial about climate change, probably the most important longterm issue that the next President will have to face. For a time the Party line was that climate change is all a hoax (great kidders, those scientists). Some, (poor Rick Santorum, for instance) are still stuck at that level. Others, realizing they were beginning to look too obviously absurd, moved on to: Climate change is real, but it's not caused by human activity (so don't expect us to do anything about it). As the intellectual emptiness of this Plan B has become increasingly evident, most have moved on to Plan C: Simply respond to all inquiries on the topic by saying "I am not a scientist." Okay, guys, but could you maybe learn a little science? Republicans aren't too sure about evolution, either, by the way.
Another theme, especially associated with Ben Carson, a distinguished brain surgeon who has never held public office, and Carly Fiorina, remembered as a business executive fired by Hewlett-Packard, is "I'm not a politician."
Hmmm. I'm not a brain surgeon, so give me a shot at your cerebellum?
A large field of candidates all running for President and all declaring that they are not remotely qualified for the office. Only in America?
Although the presidential election will not take place until November 2016, the campaign has already begun. It will heat up in early 2016, as the primary elections (part of the process by which the parties selects their nominees) begin.
In the Republican Party (the challenger) there is an ever-growing field of possible candidates. The Party has a problem in that it has, just about unanimously, been in denial about climate change, probably the most important longterm issue that the next President will have to face. For a time the Party line was that climate change is all a hoax (great kidders, those scientists). Some, (poor Rick Santorum, for instance) are still stuck at that level. Others, realizing they were beginning to look too obviously absurd, moved on to: Climate change is real, but it's not caused by human activity (so don't expect us to do anything about it). As the intellectual emptiness of this Plan B has become increasingly evident, most have moved on to Plan C: Simply respond to all inquiries on the topic by saying "I am not a scientist." Okay, guys, but could you maybe learn a little science? Republicans aren't too sure about evolution, either, by the way.
Another theme, especially associated with Ben Carson, a distinguished brain surgeon who has never held public office, and Carly Fiorina, remembered as a business executive fired by Hewlett-Packard, is "I'm not a politician."
Hmmm. I'm not a brain surgeon, so give me a shot at your cerebellum?
A large field of candidates all running for President and all declaring that they are not remotely qualified for the office. Only in America?
posted by Bill | 6:58 AM
6 Comments:
well plenty of our politicians are not much better, though actual climate change denial isn't a big thing here.
honest politicians? I don't buy it...
Thanks, Juliet. I'm not sure that makes me feel any better. Yes, climate change denial seems to be an American specialty.
Well, Lorraine, I'm not prepared to write off politicians as a class. The claim that we get the politicians we deserve may be an oversimplification (who are "we"?), but voters who take their responsibilities seriously – not just to vote, but to cast informed votes – would be a step in the right direction. Here's a tip: Don't vote for the guy you would rather have a beer with, especially if he's an alcoholic.
What I think may be the truth:
__The Earth's climates >have been changing since they, and the Earth began.<
BUT
__Our disrespectful mishandling of our environmental realm, has plausibly soured its climatic value, and rerouted its patterns. _m
I've worked for politicians oh yeah of different parties, and my friend, it's all the same every time, but if there comes a time when i see the Devil, I'll vote for the opposite party...
Thanks for your thoughts, M.
Lorraine, your experience has apparently been more consistently negative than mine. I was for several years active in reform politics, for two years as president of a reform organization. I have known politicians who are honest and dedicated. Some of them even got elected. Of course, I've encountered many fools, knaves, and hybrids of the two. But I find that "they are all crooks" leads too easily to "government is the problem," which leads too easily to "what difference does it make," which leads inevitably to the very situation we deplore.
Never vote for a politician who uses "politician" as an insult.
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