Maybe, just maybe, it's time to bring back the division between entertainers and politicians. Some politicians become cults of personality. Obama and JFK jump immediately to mind. Then you have the path lit by Reagan - a woman-slapping, Chesterfield-hocking B-list actor-turned-California-governor - and that's since ushered in the mostly good (Schwarzenegger) to the absurd (former wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura).
As a recovering recording engineer, I've been locked in a dark room with musicians and media personalities for days on end and I assure you, they do not share any semblance of the proletariat mentality. They squander untold sums of money filling a black hole of narcissistic despair in their souls. People and relationships are transient at best, transactional at worst.
You could argue that's perfect for today's political arena. And I'd fire back that it's the arena itself that needs to be changed. I miss politics being C-Span fodder - boring and processional. Remember a time when you didn't consume five hours of partisan hacks screeching clickbait headlines into the void? I vaguely do. And maybe I'm remembering it through the fond, soft lens of nostalgia - but I think I kinda miss it.
I would love to see a return to whatever shared vision of normalcy we can find. Congress feels more like professional wrestling. Some of the fireworks I can endorse, provided it's in service of advancing the interests of the people, fighting back against absurd scorched earth policy or hyper-partisan demagoguery. But it's often unnecessary - just fighting fire with more fire when what we really need is to let the adults back in the room.
Luther Campbell would likely not be one of those adults. He's said as much from the outset. True, we need strong voices in congress to represent the people - but more theatrics is not the answer. After the Tea Party's ascendancy in 2010, there's been a steady breakdown of mores, norms, and behaving like elected representatives. Senator Inhofe and his "I have a snowball which disproves global warming" stunt in 2014 is an example I hold up as another chip in the foundational standards of congressional discourse.
Hey, at least Sideshow Boebert is gonna be sent packing. George "Kitara Rivache" Santos proved that there's a line too far even for the GOP. It's a start.
We are such a spoiled, foolish, unserious nation….
And don’t forget decadent.
Intellectually lazy too..
Use the Force Luke, use the Force....
Maybe, just maybe, it's time to bring back the division between entertainers and politicians. Some politicians become cults of personality. Obama and JFK jump immediately to mind. Then you have the path lit by Reagan - a woman-slapping, Chesterfield-hocking B-list actor-turned-California-governor - and that's since ushered in the mostly good (Schwarzenegger) to the absurd (former wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura).
As a recovering recording engineer, I've been locked in a dark room with musicians and media personalities for days on end and I assure you, they do not share any semblance of the proletariat mentality. They squander untold sums of money filling a black hole of narcissistic despair in their souls. People and relationships are transient at best, transactional at worst.
You could argue that's perfect for today's political arena. And I'd fire back that it's the arena itself that needs to be changed. I miss politics being C-Span fodder - boring and processional. Remember a time when you didn't consume five hours of partisan hacks screeching clickbait headlines into the void? I vaguely do. And maybe I'm remembering it through the fond, soft lens of nostalgia - but I think I kinda miss it.
Like Private Benjamin once said, as she and her fellow recruits slogged in a circle in the mud, "I want life to be normal again."
I loathe living in interesting times and I'm quite ready for things to return to the staid and boring.
I would love to see a return to whatever shared vision of normalcy we can find. Congress feels more like professional wrestling. Some of the fireworks I can endorse, provided it's in service of advancing the interests of the people, fighting back against absurd scorched earth policy or hyper-partisan demagoguery. But it's often unnecessary - just fighting fire with more fire when what we really need is to let the adults back in the room.
Luther Campbell would likely not be one of those adults. He's said as much from the outset. True, we need strong voices in congress to represent the people - but more theatrics is not the answer. After the Tea Party's ascendancy in 2010, there's been a steady breakdown of mores, norms, and behaving like elected representatives. Senator Inhofe and his "I have a snowball which disproves global warming" stunt in 2014 is an example I hold up as another chip in the foundational standards of congressional discourse.
Hey, at least Sideshow Boebert is gonna be sent packing. George "Kitara Rivache" Santos proved that there's a line too far even for the GOP. It's a start.
Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right...