Frequently when I think of politics, I think there are many smart people out there that do things politically, more like a performance than real politics. Elections are shows for the masses. The campaign trail is performance art. With 24 hour news channels and blogs out the wazoo, people need to have something to talk about. To feel they’re a part of the process, even if they’re not, really.
While I watched the American 2012 Republican debates, starting with a big crowd of over 10 contenders, it occurs to me that this is a process. They’re starting early and getting more TV coverage before the election than they ever will after it. I’m sure it happens every four years, but we’re all four years older each time too, and our values and memories and opinions change. I pay way more attention to politics now, than I did four or 8 or 12 years ago.
Although, to be fair, I still get my news from the comedy side of politics, not the actual news stations. I learn what I need to from Howard Stern, Jon Stewart and Jimmy Kimmels – although with Saturday Night Live. Since I am Liberal, and of the belief that most of the people I respect in life are too, this is actually adequate for me to feel somewhat educated.
When I see the row of clowns in the debates, and both sides are making fun of some of them, I realize exactly why we have idiots running for President. Why it is important to rule out the fools, in order to make us all believe we are choosing the right man (or woman, if that ever happens).
We need fools to make fun of, because it is vital, in the 20+ months of time we have to fill before the actual election, that we not make fun of the one we’re going to choose – at least too much. We need the late night talk shows to have fodder, and be able to mock and attack and joke about the losers. If we had 10 actual good contenders up in the row in front of a crowd, we’d not only be confused, but we’d have to find out the dirt and bad things about the good guys too. We’d be talking for 28 months about Mit Romney, and that can’t be good.
Without the idiot contestants, we might have to laugh at the real contestants. Just like other realty TV shows like Survivor, the winners have to think about who they want to take to the end. Who can they beat in the final tribal council. We need losers we know can’t win to the end beside us.
Herman Caine was just a rodeo clown that lets the cowboy get away unnoticed by the media bull.
His job was to show America that a black man, or a small business man, or a crazy person – depending on which demographic you most identify with, CAN make it to the Presidential race. His close positioning served multiple purposes to give hope to everyone that in the USA, anyone can make it to the President campaign trail, even if only rich Harvard educated men actually win. He was close.
