Whenever I write something damaging to a political office holder or candidate I get nasty messages saying “but they are brave to run for office” or “he’s done a lot for Utah” or “he may have issues but the other guy….”.
Whenever I write something damaging to those running in a primary, their supporters write imploring me to “be nice – we have to have a candidate in the general election”.
Sorry. But “good enough” isn’t “good enough” for me.
It isn’t brave to run for office. It may be stupid, but it isn’t brave. It maybe narcissistic, and not good for your family, but it isn’t “brave”. Brave is Lech Walesa. Brave is Sam Adams. Brave is Nelson Mandela. What’s brave about going for a job that makes most of its office holders millionaires?
I hold candidates to a George Washington test. Are they as honorable, as self-sacrificing, as noble or as humble, as George Washington? If not, I don’t like them.
The sad thing is that my test doesn’t exclude most Americans just most candidates.
Why don’t these modern George Washington’s run? Because they, like me, think the system unsolvable, and they have just one life to live. So we are left with people mostly running to exploit the system, not help it.
Update: Maybe Chris Christie meets the test.