Watching the Democratic convention this week has been interesting entertainment, and I can’t wait to see the other side of the aisle (i.e. Republicans) next week.
That’s right, I view the festivities as grand theater. A good screenwriter couldn’t make this stuff up. You have the black man, the white woman, the old man. You have the angry PUMAs. There are skeletons in closets waiting to be revealed. There are live wire Number Two guys and high drama around every bend. Every person in every media outlet is a potential Siskel or Ebert, ready with their thumbs up or down. I don’t know whether I should laugh or cry.
First of all, I think both parties' choice of convention location is odd. I grew up in one state and went to college in the other, so I know what I’m talking about. With the possible exception of Boulder, the state of Colorado has long been a stronghold for conservatives, and you can’t get any more liberal than St. Paul. The planting of delegates in unfriendly territory must have tongues wagging around local water coolers.
The entire political season has been a roller coaster ride, but my deepest concern is not with the process, but with the politicians themselves. It may be pure cynicism on my part, but as in a stage production, the major players are all actors - Academy Award winners, every one. It's interesting to see the pained expressions, from the biting of tongues. Like our current bumper crop of celebrities, our politicians have become shallow pseudo-royalty, consistently out of touch with the regular Joe. If they’re not rich to begin with, they become rich by being in office. Think about it. We have had candidates with $400 haircuts. (I color my own hair, $6 a box.) The mayor of Detroit charged up $100,000 of personal purchases on his city credit card. (I catch hell on my legitimate business charges.) The Speaker of the House flies back and forth to San Francisco in a private jet. (I have to have three browsers open to plan the most cost effective trip when I go to the West Coast.) Do you really think John McCain shops off the rack at the Men’s Wearhouse? When do you think Hillary Clinton has last shopped in a grocery store unencumbered by Secret Service? Does Barack Obama wince, as I do, when he fills up his gas tank? Does he even fill it up himself?
I realize that Hillary has touched a responsive chord with many women, Barack has used “change” as his appealing cause du jour, and John McCain has trumpeted his independent “maverick” status as a bridge between two dissenting opinions. I have no personal beef with any of the candidates, would-bes, or people already in office. This is their game. This also happens to be our current system, and we, the people have set it up this way.
Article comments
1 - zingzing
is that a puma or a cougar? please let it be a cougar.
2 - Arch Conservative
"Unfortunately, we Baby Boomers have fallen short of those lofty goals."
I'm only 31 so wasn't around for the great hippy movement or whtever you want to call it but the way I see it is that you grew up, got jobs, and had children.
That's not exactly any great cause for shame in my book.
3 - Dan Miller
I just re-read the article, and wonder whether if might be re-cast as Mrs. Palin goes to Washington, possibly with a different conclusion.
Dan(Miller)
4 - Lisa Solod Warren
It would be nice if the comman man and woman could run for public office without big money behind him or her. AND it would be very lovely to get rid of PACS completely (even the good ones, I fear) and all that money changing hands. It seems that, mostly, only the very rich can run for office these days. Palin IS an exception, I agree. But she is still not ready for primetime.
5 - Joanne Huspek
I like Palin's fresh face and her lack of phoniness. But I agree with Lisa in that she might not be ready for prime time. The poor woman would be flotsam on the ocean of status quo without a life preserver. Too bad.