The Political Siren's Song Nabs Two More

My upcoming trip to Yellowstone to photograph wolves and bears can't get here too soon.  For me, whether we actually see any or not, it will be pure, blissful escapism!

I need the break from the political soap opera that is now taking place.  It goes to show that even the "outsiders" will succumb to the siren song of politics.

It also shows that I'm a pretty poor judge of character.  I thought Carly Fiorina would be a great candidate for president but her campaign never caught on.  Mostly because the press is liberal, I think, and Hillary is their female of choice thus little coverage of Carly.

As for Ben Carson, his low key personality couldn't make any inroads against his more flamboyant competitors.

Carly disappeared for a time.  Carson stayed in until last week when he finally admitted the handwriting was on the wall and it didn't favor him.

Now it seems they both want to be players if not viable candidates.  How do they do that?  Apparently the easiest way is to endorse a candidate and become a surrogate campaigner.  Oh my.  Who to support and what was their price?

Carly chose Cruz.  Does she have any idea who this man is?  To me he's more frightening than Trump.  Now I understand her rational.  After what Trump insinuated about her I wouldn't expect her to jump on his circus train, but still, Cruz? Maybe she's vying for that V.P. slot after all. She denied that as a goal as long as she was an active candidate, but now who knows?  She'd be powerful at keeping the negatives about Hillary front and center.

Now, what about Carson?  He endorsed Trump.  Two more opposites would be hard to find.  What was his price?  Health and Human Services would be a good fit.  Is that the deal?  When asked how he could endorse Trump after what was said about him he brushed it off as it just being politics.

Well, there you have it.  Two candidates  of whom I thought highly were lured by a siren song only politicians can hear.  It seems this time around the more incomprehensible you are the better you do. The lust for power and the lure of the adoring crowds is as much of an opiate as opium itself.

Now what?  I've lost my optimism.  I may be spending more and more time in Yellowstone or photographing petroglyphs in the southwest.  Thinking about them, as a sort of newspaper of the ancients, I wonder if being able to decipher the markings would be great or not. We might learn that back hundreds of years ago people had the same disillusionment with their leaders as we have today.

Maybe it's better we not know.  We'd not have leared from it anyway. People are people and we continue to make the same mistakes over and over.  It is probably one of our greatest shortcomings.

Time To Dump The Sacred Cow

No, I don't mean Donald Trump.  Though I must say he's taking care of it all by himself.  I think it's time to divorce ourselves from the notion the President has to come from the ranks of the previously elected.  Why not a solid business executive?

Why?

Most have no managerial experience what-so-ever.  What about governors?  It's all within the realm of politics thus stifling the creativity and innovation needed in the private sector to succeed.

Let's face it, corporate leaders are far more likely to know world leaders or their representatives than the average member of Congress or most governors. They know how to delegate, negotiate, make decisions and reason in a non-partisan manner.  Their obligation is to their stock holders, not themselves.

While I like Ben Carson; he is a good and brilliant man but I've yet to see he can manage.  Trump?  What does he do well other than bully, deprecate his opponents and speak in generalities touting how great he would be?  But nothing yet about how.

Carly. Look beyond HP. What happened to her there is not uncommon and we need to understand that. What we also need to consider is she is bright, quick, assured, informed and unafraid. She is woman, hear her roar.  She has substance based on experience, homework and tenacity.

Can she handle Congress?  I'd rather ask if they really think they can roll her.  I doubt it. World leaders?  She's no shrinking violet.  Manage?  Heads and tails above anyone who shared that debate stage including Trump.

She may not win.  We may listen too much to the negativity that is beginning to ramp up but she deserves our consideration.  If you're willing to consider Hillary you should be willing to consider Carly. It's no longer about petty party politics but rather the very substance of our nation.  Who we are and what we want to be.  Are we content with the things as they are?  Trump's rise would indicate we are not.

Let's get serious about who can best serve the country as a whole; who has the skill, the temperament and the background.

If there were other top tier business executives in the race I'd be giving the same pep talk about any of them. What we don't need is another untried, manipulated and beholden politician.