Light a Candle...

Happy Birthday President Lincoln!!

It is an interesting thing to note, that in today's MSM environment, and in the way both political parties currently operate, that many of our undeniably greatest Presidents couldn't get elected.

It is 'common knowledge' (always a questionable statement) that Richard Nixon's make up and lack of preparedness for the new TV media, cost him the debate and probably the election to JFK. One has only to look at the pictures of President Lincoln, to realize that he couldn't even have gotten to the debate in today's pretty boy climate.

Of course, in Lincoln's time, today's campaigning on the part of candidates did not exist as we recongnize it today. The 'virtues' of our founding fathers in regards to seeking public office still pertained, holding influence over the process. Many of them felt that anyone who wanted and sought public office was inherently unfit to hold it, subscribing to the belief that the best candidate was one who served reluctantly and was quite happy to leave office.

Which does beg a question about today's politics and politicians. Both the parties and the candidates, independently and toghether, spend millions of dollars to get the candidate in a job that (at the top) pays less $200k/yr. Economically, this is insane, if everything is above board. So, this economic equation must be balanced somewhere/somehow.

The cynic in me tends to the opinion that this just proves that all politicians are de facto crooks. The idealist (and sometimes realist) in me hopes that some sense of duty to the nation rather than self informs these efforts/expenditures. I also realize that running for election is not a straightforward economic transaction - payback occurs in ways that are not material and therefore not truly accountable. Favors, pure contributions with no expectations of payback other than staying true to promises, all these and others skew the political process from a straight economic buy/sell. But that patina is still present, and it can't help but skew the process for both the supporters/contributors and the candidates given the sums involved today.

Happy Birthday Mr. Lincoln, haven't we come a long way?!

posted by Clayton @ 8:39 AM