Gem
Rookie
- Aug 11, 2004
- 2,080
- 783
- 0
- Banned
- #21
Maybe thats where you and I are clashing. I know and fully accept that candidates have to do things on the political trail that they would not normally do in everyday life: worry about their hair cut, wear makeup, kiss strange, crying babies, etc.
I also accept that most Americans are so ridiculously apathetic to the whole thing that a candidate must adopt a persona in order to deal with the short-attention span citizenry. Bush was the tough-talkin' American cowboy to Kerry's suave European minded diplomat. Hillary is the woman. Obama is the good-looking young idealist (channeling JFK). Giuliani is "America's Mayor." etc.
While I find this somewhat pathetic...I understand it is a necessity when dealing with the majority of Americans who have no clue who Mitt Romney, Scooter Libby, Nancy Pelosi, etc. ARE.
So if I have to accept that you are going to play your little role - "John Edwards - everyman, family man, son of a poor mill worker." (I'll even ignore the fact that his father was actually a mill foreman/manager...not exactly what Edwards portrays)....then Johnny has to actually play the part...no thousand dollar meals delivered to him and his wife in their hotel from an expensive club after posing for a meal at Wendys (As happened on the campaign trail during the last election) no $400 haircuts from stylists flown in on private jets.
And if he isn't willing to play along...thats fine...if he wants to play "everyman" when it is convenient and then duck behind the corner for an expensive haircut or jet down to his palace-like home/compound for the weekend thats his right...But then I get to point it out and poke a little fun. It doesn't mean I'm not going to listen to his message...it just means that I'm going to listen with a grain of salt because I know he playing the games, just like everyone else.
I think thats fair...don't you?
I also accept that most Americans are so ridiculously apathetic to the whole thing that a candidate must adopt a persona in order to deal with the short-attention span citizenry. Bush was the tough-talkin' American cowboy to Kerry's suave European minded diplomat. Hillary is the woman. Obama is the good-looking young idealist (channeling JFK). Giuliani is "America's Mayor." etc.
While I find this somewhat pathetic...I understand it is a necessity when dealing with the majority of Americans who have no clue who Mitt Romney, Scooter Libby, Nancy Pelosi, etc. ARE.
So if I have to accept that you are going to play your little role - "John Edwards - everyman, family man, son of a poor mill worker." (I'll even ignore the fact that his father was actually a mill foreman/manager...not exactly what Edwards portrays)....then Johnny has to actually play the part...no thousand dollar meals delivered to him and his wife in their hotel from an expensive club after posing for a meal at Wendys (As happened on the campaign trail during the last election) no $400 haircuts from stylists flown in on private jets.
And if he isn't willing to play along...thats fine...if he wants to play "everyman" when it is convenient and then duck behind the corner for an expensive haircut or jet down to his palace-like home/compound for the weekend thats his right...But then I get to point it out and poke a little fun. It doesn't mean I'm not going to listen to his message...it just means that I'm going to listen with a grain of salt because I know he playing the games, just like everyone else.
I think thats fair...don't you?