One Of Us

The latest Republican talking point re: Palin is "she's one of us." Meaning, of course that she's just an average American, just like us. The truth is, she is just like us. And that is exactly why you shouldn't vote Republican in this election.

Remember 8 years ago when the Supreme Court appointed a president who was like us, the guy that you wanted to have a beer with? Turns out, average joe "guys like us" aren't very well suited to being the leader of the most powerful nation on Earth. Yeah, they're more suited to standing around the water cooler discussing Monday Night Football.

I don't think I stand alone when I say that I want and expect my leaders to be smarter than me. Check that, I want my leaders to be a hell of a lot smarter than me. If they're only as smart as me then I really don't need them now do I? I can just as easily figure things out for myself.

Let's digress briefly and take a quick look at pop culture. Remember when TV game shows were about watching smart people answer questions that you yourself didn't know the answers to? Whatever happened to our society that used to value intelligence and look up to the great thinkers of our lifetime?

Today's game shows are all about Joe Sixpack randomly selecting numbers on suitcases being held by scantily clad models. Guessing games. No thought required.

I was actually excited when they briefly brought back "Password". A game that rewards thinking, specifically quick thinking. I loved it. The pace of the show was fast, no endless studio produced faux "drama" while contestants talked things over with family members as to which number they should say next. No host droning on and on and then finally saying they'll open a suitcase after the break. "Password" was a good game show. So of course it was quickly cancelled. Which helps proves my point, people today are more interested in watching models open suitcases than they are with thinking or challenging their brains.

As a society, it is vital that we return to valuing and rewarding intelligent thought. Average Joe's may make great "reality" TV show contestants, but when it comes to dealing with the complex issues facing our nation and our society, we really can't afford to leave it to an Average Joe.

There's a reason why Average Joe's never reach the level of CEO in their choice of profession. It's the same reason why Average Joe's should never (again) be trusted with running our country. The United States is not an average country, and it's certainly not the tiny town of Wasilla, Alaska. Wasilla may be a microcosm but that doesn't mean that it prepares you for dealing with the demands of a macrocosm. There's a big difference between being President of a sorority and President of the United States. As citizens, and the voice of the people, why would we ever even briefly consider allowing someone who is just "average" to be one heartbeat away from controlling the fate of our great nation?

We get the leadership that we deserve. Don't you think we deserve better? I know I do.