McCain will deliver on his campaign promises. He has been virtually the only opposition voice in the Republican party to Bush policies for over eight years. Where was Ron Paul quietly spending his days during that time? Paul talked a good line when he decided to campaign for the presidency, and he has a good record that demonstrates his Libertarian perspective. Perhaps he just never captured the media's interest and that's why I never heard of him before; it's all the media's fault.
When you're elected to serve in public office, it doesn't mean you are capable or intelligent, and before you're elected you may have some doubts. Unfortunately, once elected there's a transformation from doubt to certainty that you are capable, that you are intelligent: otherwise you would not have been elected. And so, the incapable and ignorant serve in public office oblivious of their difficiences, confident that they know what they are doing. Their critics among the people are wrong.
In the main though, I consider this old guy's attitude in the opening post,
wrong headed.
I laughed out loud once about it though: Going up the steps to the
council chamber for our weekly meeting, a citizen confronted me with,
"What the hell kind of elected official are you? Doing exactly what you
said you would?" At a time when I thought no one had noticed, and I
was under attack from everyone in position, it was just the kind of laugh
I needed.
Too often, people think that they have no influence, when in fact they
have enormous influence on elected and appointed people. Of course,
the elected and appointed would never give them the satisfaction of
knowing that they have any influence. They'd be in there all the time,
making adjustments, were that the case. One can only imagine how
annoying that would be.
Rambling a bit further:
I once attended a FEMA course designed for elected officials.
Unfortunately for me, most of the people attending were not elected at
all, they were members of staff. So, I also became informed by the
attitudes of staff in emergency situations. In answer to the question
What's the first thing you do in an emergency: "Shoot the council
members." The room erupted in laughter---and agreement. Apparently,
ignorant council members feel the need to be in the midst of an
emergency, and all they do is get in the way.
Being elected, sandwiches you between professional staff and their
agenda, and the public and their agenda. Seems fine on the surface, but
actually it's not that easy to get anything you want done without
political consequences. You are in charge, but not really. Failing to
rubber stamp staff recommendations, failing to go along to get along
with other council members, has consequences--not always pleasant.
The public loves you, but they stay home. They abandon you. They did
their part when they elected you. You are alone. You'd better have the
ducks in a row. You'd better dot your i's and cross your t's and you'd
better have extremely thick skin. Your research had better be
impeccably thorough. Your delivery had better speak to the citizens
where they live, and to what they know, and ring astonishly true.
Otherwise, you'll spend your term in office almost getting things
accomplished.
If you accomplish any significant changes, don't even think about getting
re-elected. That won't happen: You're a troublemaker. Everyone
serving with you and all of the staff will quietly make that clear to the
electorate.
That's my experiece.
In my case, they had to tell lies, and that amuses me: I must have done pretty well, if they couldn't use the truth against me.
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