Horse Race 2008
I generally try not to get too political with this blog, but I really think our presidential race is turning into a horse race: a bunch of lightweights compelled by merits and resources other than their own going around and around in circles. To add to the metaphor, there is too much money involved, and the whole thing has been fixed from the start. For instance, did anyone actually think Kucinich had a chance? At least in a real horse race the long shot wins often enough to generate a couple bets.
You may say that politicians should not be compared to jockeys, in the disparaging way I have done it here, but the truth is that they only get by on other people’s money and most - if not all - the candidates have government employment as the chief entry on their resumes. Say what he (or she) will about opposing “handouts” for the poor, our next president will have taken more government handouts - in the form of free health care, retirement, housing, security details and travel; and virtual do-nothing jobs in Congress - than any poor, chronically unemployed public housing resident ever will.
And just watching them, reading what they have to say, hearing them speak really makes me wonder whether they think I’m any better than a horse’s ass.