Wednesday, May 14, 2008

More politics.
Sorry. My blog isn't an inherently political place, but this has been on my mind a lot recently. So there's Hillary and Barack going at it for the nomination. I like Obama and I think he can win in Novenber. But I keep hearing about how educated people vote for Obama and uneducated people vote for Clinton. And we look at this fact very objectively and carefully and him and haw and analyze. But what I find missing from the analysis is as follows: Nobody seems to be willing to say or even suggest that maybe... just maybe... educated people make better decisions than uneducated people? So if the most educated, well-informed, intelligent among us want Obama... shouldn't that be some kind of sign?? Shouldn't that be a selling point as opposed to something to mock on late night tv? And it doesn't mean a college education, it just means a decent working knowledge of the issues you're forming an opinion about.
But then it eventually comes down to this Elitist vs. Regular Guy bit. "I want the President to be a regular guy like me, that I can have a beer with." Well, we just had that. For eight years. I won't say that they were the worst eight years in American history, but they were really, really bad. And 80% of the country now seems to think so.
I don't want a president who's like me because I'm not qualified to be president. Neither is any regular guy. Jon Stewart said it best when he said "Doesn't 'elite' mean 'good'? Is that no longer something we're looking for in a President?... If you don't actually think you're better than us, then what the fuck are you doing? ... [N]ot only do I want an elite president, I want someone who is embarrassingly superior to me." Obviously, passing an IQ test or something can't be a prerequisite to vote in this country, (that truly would be elitist... and frankly Orwellien) (maybe take the citizenship test?) but self education is a responsibility that too many people aren't willing to accept.

So, am I an elitist now?
elitist |əˈlētist; āˈlētist| noun
a person who believes that a system or society should be ruled or dominated by an elite.
• a person who believes that they belong to an elite : designers are a bunch of elitists who don't live in the real world.

Well, I am a designer...
But I would actually alter that definition to "a person who believes that a system or society should [not only] be ruled or dominated by an elite [but who has no interest in, particular knowledge of, or reverence for the common man.]
The resentment we have in this country surrounding the term 'elite' is that it implies you don't give a shit about anyone below you. Sir Copperbottom III sips tea in his mansion while people starve to death outside the gates. But most of our politicians aren't really like that (fewer Democrats) even the jerks. Obama isn't like that and ultimately neither are Clinton or McCain. Actually caring about people is how Clinton, Bill got elected in the first place. Obama cares as much if not more, but they've got the name recognition and he's not as good one on one maybe?

I don't have an ending for this. Rant over.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Political