Why Do We Keep Producing Unqualified Candidates in the US?
Hail to the Chief
In a country where any fine, young person can grow up to be president . . . . .
Why doesn't one?
Many of us are asking ourselves how did we get to this point in America? Look at this cast of characters running for our highest office. Where did they come from?
An early morning pundit recently made an interesting argument in an attempt to answer this pressing question. He said today's candidates have morphed from questionable candidates in the recent past. Candidates who ran for reasons other than actually winning the office they were seeking. They wanted to sell their book(s), they wanted to gain national name recognition, or they ran to shape the debate on a single subject. But because of skeletons in their closet, lack of experience, or extreme leanings to the right or to the left, they knew in the end they were unelectable.
But still they ran. And we let them. We supported them. We contributed to them. In our primaries, we even voted for them, knowing as well as they did that they were basically unelectable.
Since the end of the administration of Bush, the Younger, the cast of characters in the Grand Old Party have been varied and colorful. What they also have been is ridiculous. Sarah Palin, Herman Cain, Michelle Bachman, Mitt Romney, now Ben Carson, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and finally Donald Trump. Seriously?
This is the best we can do? We're supposed to take the Grand Old Party seriously with candidates like this? Why won't the good people in this party run? Where is Colin Powell when we need him? Where is the highest ranking black woman in history? Wouldn't that have been an exciting campaign, one worthy of this great nation? Did Paul Ryan run for vice president last time? Isn't running for his party's nomination kind of the next thing on his resume? Why doesn't somebody draft the governor of South Carolina? There are some great people in the Republican Party. Where are they when they are needed?
Edmund Burke said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
When good people do not step up, we get the cast of characters we've been watching on our televisions for the past year. God Bless America. We're going to friggin' need it.
