We live in a country where actors, wrestlers and body builders get elected

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

It's now hype and preconception over reality with most Americans.

What does this say about our future and our populace.

It's how Dim Son got elected.

[Mythsaje]

1. People vote on name recognition too much...n/t

[Deja Q]

8. Popularity vs art... oops, I mean intellect.

Of course, intellect is often seen in art.

Except pop art. That's plastic garbage and everybody knows it.

[Mythsaje]

28. I don't even think I know what pop art is...n/t

[Initech]

2. It's all about how you present yourself on TV.

Which is why I'm beginning to really hate TV. We could have elected Gary Coleman at this point and people wouldnt care.

[Left Is Write]

3. About a wrestler...

In 1998 in Minnesota, we had three choices for governor: Skip Humphrey, Norm Coleman, and Jesse Ventura.

Though I didn't vote for Jesse myself, many believed he was just the least of three evils and figured he couldn't do much damage. He did, at least, have a little political experience.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

5. Jesse had some good points...

The problem is that I am sure there were many in Minnisota that were better qualified that were passed over for the reasons of name recognition and financing.

[Deja Q]

12. And Jesse was in it for himself - worse than a typical politician, or even

a career politician.

He wasn't a "D" or an "R" and as such people bothered to take notes this time around. They wanted results. They saw how the things he voted for benefitted himself only and did not help them at all; it worsened things instead (e.g. the license plate tabs fee increases...)

The arrogant little twerp was justly voted out.

Indeed, the ((jerk)) royally screwed up the opportunity to make 3rd party platforms look viable. That makes him the lowest of the low. A true dreg of society. Even "D"s and "R"s who change laws and taxes and fees do it to help those who paid them enough money; not out of direct self-interest. Jesse did things for Jesse's personal benefit. Period. Quite a Libertarian, regardless of the party he claimed to support.

BTW: The "L" in Libertarian stands for "Liar". That can be applied to most of them; their ethics are nil as well. (recent experience, I nearly got suckered in... I won't bother to listen to how they will attempt to self-satisfy their change in tune...)

[Left Is Write]

16. Small point - he wasn't voted out.

He did not run for re-election.

[Left Is Write]

15. Jesse ran on the Reform Party ticket.

I'm sure there were any number of Minnesotans more qualified for office than Jesse, but there is no doubt it would take hefty name recognition and money to win against the two major party candidates.

[oblivious]

4. Similar to the Philippines.

[davidinalameda]

6. we're not the only country where celebrites make the jump

[TallahasseeGrannie]

7. The Medium is the Message

It was predicted years ago.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

9. And I have a friend who seriously wants

Oprah to run for Prez and Dr. Phil VP. And this woman has a PhD.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

10. Poor thing... a Southern phrase comes to mind: "Bless her heart."

:hi:

[politicaholic]

11. If I voted based on who I would to have a beer with...

some clumsy beefcake with an ego problem is not my first choice.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

13. LOL!!! Jeebus! I'd vote for me or one of my buds...

None of which I would want running a Superpower.

[NaturalHigh]

14. Should "actors, wrestlers, and bodybuilders" ...

be automatically disqualified? How about somebody who writes comic books? Maybe singers should also get the boot.

This post smacks of elitism, as if someone should be required to have a certain kind of background to run for office. From your profile, I suspect that you fancy yourself an intellectual. I will remind you that George Bush has an MBA and attended Harvard and Yale.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

18. LOL!!!! Thanks!

I needed that!

Yeah, I'm an elitist in the fact that I'd like a person wo actually has a background in Government or Diplomacy to be running a Superpower rather than a tin horned, brain damaged, dufus who brags about getting "C's."

What is it in my background/profile that leads you to this conclusion? That I read? That I have been a rare book dealer? That I write?

If that leads you to think that I might be an elitist...

Never mind. Thanks for the chuckle.

[rustydog]

17. one of our founding fathers was a silversmith

one was an inventor. The only qualification is a desire to serve your nation and you must be American-born.

George Bush has a masters in business.....he is still as dumb as they come. It doesn't matter what a person's vocation was before running, the question has to be, through intelligent questions; Does this candidate speak for me?

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

19. I'd rather see an engineer, a physicist, a Phd in Lit, A Mathematician,

A Doctor... Etc.

Someone who has shown a penchant for disciplined thought.

[Greenbeard]

20. The problem is finding an honorable to way to make yourself heard

those who already have the stage have a much easier job.

It just means we have to work a little bit harder. :)

[libnnc]

21. When Reagan first got elected...

My 90-plus year old great grandmother ranted and raved on for months, God rest her. I'll never forget it. She was baffeled and horrified. Her china-blue eyes widened and she blurted out, "But...but, he's and ACTOR! An ACTOR!!" As someone who lived through (and lost everything) the Great Depression, she foresaw hard times coming.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

23. "China blue eyes..." I love it. Your Great Grandmother was an

insightful woman.

I and many like me and your Grandmother felt the same.

[Raydawg1234]

27. Very Ironic........W is a very baaaaad "actor"

[libnnc]

30. so was Ronnie

[flvegan]

22. Defining folks by what they do/have done is sort of defeatist.

Let's see...Michael Moore is a writer/director/producer. Be a better politician than most of what we have. Hell, when Adam Yauch (Beastie Boys...a rap group, no less) runs for something, let me know. I'll volunteer and donate until I have nothing left.

We live in a country where a LOT of idiots...greedy, self-serving, warmongering dipshits get elected. It matters not what they do.

If it's all name recognition, then tell you what, you get on the line to RFK, Jr and get him to throw down. That should be a bit of a landslide, don't you think?

When was it NOT hype, anyway? Politics, sadly, largely, IS hype.

[Raydawg1234]

24. Would you be saying the same thing if it was, say, George Clooney that was

elected Gov. of California? Just wondering, because it seams that the only actors elected lately have been Republican.

and as far as electing people with a background in gov., we've got a lot of those now, and look where they have gotten us!!

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

25. Yes, I would...

I love him! And his views, but as a politician? No.

Carter. Kennedy. Clinton. Truman. Jefferson.

These were educated people. I want someone in office with a knowledge of literature and history. Who are trained in critical thought.

[Raydawg1234]

26. Your thinking is a problem in America these days, the notion that we need

to elect people who "know better than we do." I want to elect someone who cares about the common man, someone who knows from experience. I don't give a flying fuck whether someone has gone to Yale or Harvard. I want to elect someone who stands up for their beliefs and the betterment of the nation.

All the people you listed were "rich white men." With the exception of one, all had "waspy" sounding names. So you only want to elect people from the old "establishment?" You'd think people would have learned by now. They elect all these rich ass holes and then they wonder why we have so many problems now.

[savemefromdumbya]

29. DON"T FORGET CHEERLEADERS!

Don't forget Bush was a cheerleader (thought that was a girl's pastime)