The Politics Corollary

"When I get a case about discrimination, I have to think about people in my own family who suffered discrimination because of their ethnic background or because of religion or because of gender. And I do take that into account."

I'll share the name of the person who gave that quote later. For now it's just something to ponder.

When you look at lists of who the greatest people were in any country, normally those who are considered at the top are policitians or statesmen. Ask me who the greatest Americans were and I might come up with names like Theodore Roosevelt, Benjamin Franklin, George Mason, Dwight Eisenhower, or Colin Powell.

Ask kids today who the greatest Americans are and you'd get answers like Kobe Bryant, Terrell Owens, Paris Hilton, or Dane Cook.

Ugh.

Charles Barkley did a commercial for Nike years ago where he famously said "I am not a role model," and was vilified for it. He wasn't wrong, but he wasn't right either. When you work in a profession that puts you on tv, the radio, or the internet you are a role model whether you like it or not. If people are shelling out $50 to watch you perform, you can bet they're going to pay attention when you screw up.

I really hope Plaxico Burris is reading this, and that Donte Stallworth is beating him upside the head.

But there's one faction of the population that puts itself on display at every opportunity for the world to see, and they regrettably do it whether it's necessary or not.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet the "Modern Politician". One hour and forty-eight minutes of saying absolutely nothing.

In most endeavors it is said that cream rises to the top. Yet, we never seem to elect these people to office. Imagine if great minds like Warren Buffett, Carly Fiorina, Bill Gates, or Jack Welch had chosen to tackle elective politics with the same gusto that made them great leaders in business. Sure, the pay would suck by comparison, but how much would the country benefit? Instead we get hacks like Barney Frank and Jim DeMint, cut from different sides of the same tattered cloth.

Maybe its our own fault. Are we as a nation smart enough to elect people who are actually smart?

Did I just answer my own question?

By the way, the quote at the top is from current Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, spoken during his own confirmation hearing. Betcha Jeff Sessions wasn't worried about his use of empathy in making decisions.