This is the best we could find?
Posted on 2 Jan 2008
To this lad there isn’t much to cheer about when it comes to politics. I hear time and again that to bring about systemic change, to work for justice, you must be involved in the political process. I have dear friends in social work who occasionally ask for help spreading the word or emailing a congressperson, and I wholeheartedly support those on the front lines championing ideals or fighting for the less fortunate. This is the aim of politics, is it not. Generally speaking though, the political system seems to be driven by divisive propaganda and deception. And it only gets nastier the higher you go. So as I look at the current crop of presidential hopefuls, I find it hard to believe these are the greatest leaders of our time. I don’t think they are. The traditionally great leaders are probably involved in more rewarding work in education or business. Realms which, prior to the Industrial Revolution, didn’t require leaders capable of coordinating and directing masses of people but now attract those presidential types who have a sense of altruism. That leaves Washington with the power-mongering narcissists and their technicolor puppet shows.
All that being said, I do find one huge exception. Not only does he inspire me to hope in D.C. politics again, he seems legitimately humble in nature and a believer in the goodness of humanity. None of this blue-state/red-state crap. And he isn’t afraid of the Middle East or eager to bomb pariah nations. I’m quite proud of the fact he has little political experience, that’s an asset in my ledger. And, I might add, he hails from the political party I grew up slinging mud at. Someone slap me in the face. So… People change. Politics change.
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