- Mark Twain - "Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."
- Will Rogers - "Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate, now what's going to happen to us with both a House and a Senate?"
- Bob Hope - "Carter wants to go to Washington. He'll feel right at home there - he was raised on a nut farm."
And, it continues to be true. Leno and Letterman and the other late night guys have plenty to say at the expense of politicians. Saturday Night Live has for years excelled at political satire and creating wonderfully humorous doubles of politicians.
They all have their opinions... they all make their points... they usually make us laugh and think... yet I know of nobody who seriously thinks of any of them as legitimate policy makers.
However, there is one exception: Rush Limbaugh. He has his opinions... he makes his points in creative ways and in very public venues... he tends to tell people what to think and laughs at those who disagree with him... and a scary number of people actually think of him as a serious policy maker. I just don't get it.
Yes, he's clever... yes, he's glib... yes, he has his own radio show... yes, he's become almost obscenely wealthy. However, when I'm looking for someone with good judgement about pretty much any topic (not to mention what should be done at a national level), the guy who is arrogant, always thinks he's right, enjoys bullying others, has failed at three marriages, and is a prescription drug abuser will not be at the top of my list. How about you?
No comments:
Post a Comment