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Politicians and Actors C&P
powdersmoke
Member Posts: 3,241
Gus
Interesting Perspective
Tue Aug 12 08:29:43 2003
198.103.96.11
Bizarre Politics
I can't recall ever having written a commentary on California politics. That's because, from afar, politics in California seem to be as complex, byzantine and sometimes downright weird as those in the Middle East. And I've had more experience in the Middle East than in California.
Nevertheless, I can say this: Arnold Schwarzenegger is perfectly qualified to be a governor. Whether he will be elected or not is another question, and I don't have a clue. I can't think of anything more uncertain to bet on than the outcome of a California election.
But let me tell you why he is qualified and at the same time poke the air out of a myth created by politicians that holding public office in this country is somehow complex and difficult. That's a load of self-aggrandizing horse apples. Buying into the notion that people need an "experienced" politician is like deciding you need an "experienced" prostitute.
The job of a governor of any state is to make decisions and make appointments. Schwarzenegger has demonstrated far better than most professional politicians that he can do that. He is intelligent. His whole life reveals that he knows how to set goals, analyze what is required to achieve those goals, find the people who can help him and then discipline himself to accomplish them. He has, so far, accomplished every goal he has set for himself.
Nobody should underestimate a guy who can come to this country practically broke and become a millionaire in his early 20s. He parlayed his bodybuilding title into a mail-order business, made sound investments in real estate and graduated with a degree in business from an American university. When he set out to become a movie star, he carefully chose the right parts, recognizing that he was not a great actor but that in the movie business you don't have to be. You just have to look right in the part.
A lot of professional politicians are people who never accomplished anything except to campaign perpetually for public office. It's not far off the mark to say that they've spent their lives conning the people into giving them what apparently many Americans value little - their vote.
When America first started out as a republic, as a rule most elected officials were people who had achieved prominence in private life, excelling in something. Today, most politicians were nobodies until they won their first election. Pick the names of your own local politicians and ask yourself, had I ever heard of these people before they got into politics? With rare exceptions, the answer is "no."
We would have a much better government if we turned to people who had solid achievements in the private sector and persuaded them to go into public office. The present system rewards mediocrity simply because these people can win a popularity contest, commonly called an election. They usually do so with some special-interest money and staff hired to put words into their mouths and thoughts into their heads. I was in that business at one time, and most Americans would be appalled if they knew how brainless and incurious some of their elected officials actually are.
It's ironic when the subject of actors comes up, because that is precisely what most professional politicians are. They dote on their appearance, read lines written by someone else and get their jollies from public applause. The only difference between most professional politicians and actors is that the actors are usually more intelligent.
So don't let politicians and political junkies in the press con you into believing that serving in public office in this country is space science. Anybody with an average intelligence and a little common sense can do it. In fact, you ought to consider it yourself.
c 2003 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
http://reese.king-online.com/Reese_20030811/index.php
When you wrestle a 'gator, there ain't no good end!!
"Molon Labe!" Spartan General-King Leonidas
Interesting Perspective
Tue Aug 12 08:29:43 2003
198.103.96.11
Bizarre Politics
I can't recall ever having written a commentary on California politics. That's because, from afar, politics in California seem to be as complex, byzantine and sometimes downright weird as those in the Middle East. And I've had more experience in the Middle East than in California.
Nevertheless, I can say this: Arnold Schwarzenegger is perfectly qualified to be a governor. Whether he will be elected or not is another question, and I don't have a clue. I can't think of anything more uncertain to bet on than the outcome of a California election.
But let me tell you why he is qualified and at the same time poke the air out of a myth created by politicians that holding public office in this country is somehow complex and difficult. That's a load of self-aggrandizing horse apples. Buying into the notion that people need an "experienced" politician is like deciding you need an "experienced" prostitute.
The job of a governor of any state is to make decisions and make appointments. Schwarzenegger has demonstrated far better than most professional politicians that he can do that. He is intelligent. His whole life reveals that he knows how to set goals, analyze what is required to achieve those goals, find the people who can help him and then discipline himself to accomplish them. He has, so far, accomplished every goal he has set for himself.
Nobody should underestimate a guy who can come to this country practically broke and become a millionaire in his early 20s. He parlayed his bodybuilding title into a mail-order business, made sound investments in real estate and graduated with a degree in business from an American university. When he set out to become a movie star, he carefully chose the right parts, recognizing that he was not a great actor but that in the movie business you don't have to be. You just have to look right in the part.
A lot of professional politicians are people who never accomplished anything except to campaign perpetually for public office. It's not far off the mark to say that they've spent their lives conning the people into giving them what apparently many Americans value little - their vote.
When America first started out as a republic, as a rule most elected officials were people who had achieved prominence in private life, excelling in something. Today, most politicians were nobodies until they won their first election. Pick the names of your own local politicians and ask yourself, had I ever heard of these people before they got into politics? With rare exceptions, the answer is "no."
We would have a much better government if we turned to people who had solid achievements in the private sector and persuaded them to go into public office. The present system rewards mediocrity simply because these people can win a popularity contest, commonly called an election. They usually do so with some special-interest money and staff hired to put words into their mouths and thoughts into their heads. I was in that business at one time, and most Americans would be appalled if they knew how brainless and incurious some of their elected officials actually are.
It's ironic when the subject of actors comes up, because that is precisely what most professional politicians are. They dote on their appearance, read lines written by someone else and get their jollies from public applause. The only difference between most professional politicians and actors is that the actors are usually more intelligent.
So don't let politicians and political junkies in the press con you into believing that serving in public office in this country is space science. Anybody with an average intelligence and a little common sense can do it. In fact, you ought to consider it yourself.
c 2003 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
http://reese.king-online.com/Reese_20030811/index.php
When you wrestle a 'gator, there ain't no good end!!
"Molon Labe!" Spartan General-King Leonidas