lombardi
Footballguy
Cruz and Paul are in, Hillary and Jeb have done everything but declare, rumblings all over about who is in next. O'Malley? Rubio? Trump? Warren? Walker?
We have 20 months to go
So who are you voting for, who are you hoping jumps in, who do you think really has a shot?
A few things I think are realities....
1. The presidency erodes everyone's principles. There isn't a political philosophy that can withstand the daily flood of reality that pours into the Oval Office. Political philosophy is a starting point, it's base from which you start, but nobody, not Paul, not Warren, not anyone is going to govern according to the pure philosophy they espouse during the campaign.
2. Everyone of these people, on both sides, is going to have enough dirt dug up about them to disqualify them from the presidency if you're going to be consistent and hold them all to the same intellectual standard. Some are are dirtier than others, some are hated more than others by media and establishment, but everyone one of them has made mistakes that are going to piss you off. Don't lie to yourself and pretend you're not voting for someone because of that one thing they did. I'm sure the guy (or woman) you like did something very similar but you're subjectively applying your principles to who you wanted to or didn't want to vote for in the first place. You'll disqualify the woman on the left you hate and rationalize the behavior of the guy on the right, even though at heart they've both lied, or cheated, or stolen. The "greater good" will allow you to overcome that nagging conscience.
3. Every candidate will shift position, flip flop, change their opinion throughout the campaign. Some will slide right, some will slight left. The reality is that we've created a system that couldn't possibly support a candidate who is 100% committed to any political ideal. Our new system is like the inquisition. The bulk of your life's work doesn't matter, the majority of the good you have or bad you have done doesn't matter, how well you can reasonably defend your position in a debate doesn't matter. You just need to say one stupid thing (as you talk 20 hours a day) or make one mistake or have made one alleged mistake in your past and the side whose ideology you do not agree with will do everything they can to define your entire life, career and person by that one single moment. Swiftboat, Mission Accomplished, I did not have sex with that woman, 47% . These are weapons used to bludgeon any real debate or expression of true ideas and will be heard above 95% of everything else that you say.
4. 80% of the voting populace already knows who they're voting for and there is no changing it. The real election is a war for the middle and every candidate knows it.
5. If we held real people to the same standard we expect our politicians to live up to, we wouldn't have any friends and we would die alone.
Welcome to Election 2015 everyone!!!
We have 20 months to go
So who are you voting for, who are you hoping jumps in, who do you think really has a shot?
A few things I think are realities....
1. The presidency erodes everyone's principles. There isn't a political philosophy that can withstand the daily flood of reality that pours into the Oval Office. Political philosophy is a starting point, it's base from which you start, but nobody, not Paul, not Warren, not anyone is going to govern according to the pure philosophy they espouse during the campaign.
2. Everyone of these people, on both sides, is going to have enough dirt dug up about them to disqualify them from the presidency if you're going to be consistent and hold them all to the same intellectual standard. Some are are dirtier than others, some are hated more than others by media and establishment, but everyone one of them has made mistakes that are going to piss you off. Don't lie to yourself and pretend you're not voting for someone because of that one thing they did. I'm sure the guy (or woman) you like did something very similar but you're subjectively applying your principles to who you wanted to or didn't want to vote for in the first place. You'll disqualify the woman on the left you hate and rationalize the behavior of the guy on the right, even though at heart they've both lied, or cheated, or stolen. The "greater good" will allow you to overcome that nagging conscience.
3. Every candidate will shift position, flip flop, change their opinion throughout the campaign. Some will slide right, some will slight left. The reality is that we've created a system that couldn't possibly support a candidate who is 100% committed to any political ideal. Our new system is like the inquisition. The bulk of your life's work doesn't matter, the majority of the good you have or bad you have done doesn't matter, how well you can reasonably defend your position in a debate doesn't matter. You just need to say one stupid thing (as you talk 20 hours a day) or make one mistake or have made one alleged mistake in your past and the side whose ideology you do not agree with will do everything they can to define your entire life, career and person by that one single moment. Swiftboat, Mission Accomplished, I did not have sex with that woman, 47% . These are weapons used to bludgeon any real debate or expression of true ideas and will be heard above 95% of everything else that you say.
4. 80% of the voting populace already knows who they're voting for and there is no changing it. The real election is a war for the middle and every candidate knows it.
5. If we held real people to the same standard we expect our politicians to live up to, we wouldn't have any friends and we would die alone.
Welcome to Election 2015 everyone!!!
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