Politics Stinks

Or should I say the type of people drawn to politics stink. Not that they are bad people in themselves but the process and system creates the type of person “you wouldn’t want to sail with” as my wife says of people who are despicable. Look no further than the current State Senate race in San Francisco and Marin Counties.

Carole Migden – granted suffering from some sort of illness – and Mark Leno are the leaders. (Full disclosure, we donated $250 to Joe Alioto Veronese for the heck of it.) I’ve met Carole a few times. She’s not balanced, sorry. I haven’t met Mark but he seems a bit San Francisco crazy for my tastes. Nothing to do with political positions because I’m pretty sure I’m more liberal than Carole and Mark put together. But these two professional politicians are a good representation of where our system has gone.

The personality type that makes it in today’s political reality includes:

• They truly believe that the ends justifies the means. Winning is everything.
• They need the job. Their hunger for power and frankly a pay check demands that they do what’s needed to keep their job.
• Getting anything done is a distant second to their survival as a professional politician.
• They are money grubbing people. They have no dignity. They will say what is needed to get you and me to write checks.
• They are generally phony, pretending to care about what you think, say, believe, while talking behind your back once you turn your head. Don’t feel special. They do this with everyone.
• They truly believe they have been ordained to be your “leader.” Lynn Woolsey point blank said that to me when I announced my run against her in 2004.

I could go on. But you get the idea. And here’s the problem. As you and I get more and more busy paying bills, putting our kids through college, and generally surviving, these “people” continue to solidify their hold on our political process. If you want to see what I mean, attend a Marin County Democratic Meet Up meeting. Talk about nuts. These angry people – who by the way wrongly think we’re going to win the White House this time – have systematically destroyed the Democratic Party in the same way the far right has buried the Republican Party. It’s all just plan sad.

That said. Back to work for me. You too I’m sure. Can’t solve this problem today so I’ll just poke my finger in their chests while screaming “GET A REAL JOB!” I feel better now.