American politics suck.
You wanna know why progressives can't find a footing in this political landscape? Because we've convinced ourselves that intelligent, successful and articulate people are too good for our vote. We have to elect every day men (and women) who castrate hogs and don't talk too good. We have to elect Average Joes.
We've got a media who pushes this idea that a politician has to connect with the voter, show 'em a good time, make 'em feel like they'd like to have a beer with 'em at a bbq one night. We want our politicians to be our neighbors and pals - the guy who held us up as we did a keg stand during that wicked pah-ty at Paddy O'Sullivan's house that one night.
Politicians have to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Why else would a grown woman parade herself on television and blab about cutting off the nuts of a pig?
Could you imagine Eleanor Roosevelt or Jackie Kennedy saying such a thing?
Neither could get elected in today's environment. They're too proper and professional.
To be fair, Democrats are just as guilty of it as Republicans. Look no further than the 2008 primary when Hillary went drinkin' in Kentucky bars showing off her blue collar roots. Talkin' like the regular folks be talkin'.
The problem is that Republicans seem to be better at it than Democrats - and it's because, on the whole, they generally ARE average dumb fucks pulled from the farm or the bar. When Democrats do it, they look fake. Could you see Elizabeth Warren talking about pig balls? Of course not.
When Al Gore tried to buddy his image up, it didn't feel real. It didn't, either, with Kerry. But they were fucked either way because, dammit, we don't want a professor for president. We hear the same shit about Obama.
Well goddammit - why don't we want a fucking professor for president? It's only, I don't know, the most important job in the world?
George Average ran this country into the ground with his aw-shucks personality and we want more of it.
The problem is that much of the progressives in this country ARE intelligent and articulate and educated. To the voters, that's seen as being pompous. Get your edumication out of mah politics.
It wasn't that long ago that we actually valued intelligence. But that changed with Reagan. Now we only elect politicians based on how they make us feel and whether we'd enjoy drinking a beer with 'em.
No wonder this country is so fucked. We've got a bunch of Gomer Pyles running it.
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