The Politics of Stupid
By Zachry Brown JGSM '10
Issue date: 12/1/09 Section: Perspectives
When did stupid become a qualification for politics? Nothing irks me more than hearing folks express their admiration for a political leader based on his or her identification with Joe Six Pack. Like the average American, Joe is an average guy proffering his average viewpoints on foreign policy, the economy, global warming, etc. The stupidity test requires politicians to praise, promote, and promulgate Joe's agenda-and never mind the fact that half of all Americans are below average intelligence. (Confused? Better stop reading.)
But wait, if you had severe chest pain, you would go to a cardiologist, right? After a decade of medical school and training, the cardiologist would appear more equipped to diagnose and treat your chest pain than ole' Joe. Not that Joe's a bad guy-he's just not a medical expert. Well, American foreign and domestic policy are a lot more complicated, and have a lot more consequence, than your chest pain. Why should we expect anything less than the best from our Nation's leaders? Why should we not want the smartest, most accomplished persons to occupy the ranks of America's highest offices?
"You betcha" Sarah Palin-who attended five colleges in six years before managing to graduate-exemplifies the politics of stupid. Fittingly, she coined the Joe Six Pack phrase during last year's campaign. With the release of Going Rogue, Palin has monopolized the airwaves, chastising the Obama Administration for ignoring the views and values of "real" Americans.
What peeves me is not her ideological disagreement with the Obama Administration; it's that she justifies her disagreement by pointing to the dissent of her average Joe supporters. For example, the Democrats' healthcare plan has galvanized legitimate debate among supporters and critics. Palin's beef with the plan, however, is that real (i.e., uninformed and stupid) Americans disagree with it, which, according to Palin, evidences the plan's failings. God bless conservative columnists Peggy Noonan and Kathleen Parker for calling Palin out for the idiot she is.
But wait, if you had severe chest pain, you would go to a cardiologist, right? After a decade of medical school and training, the cardiologist would appear more equipped to diagnose and treat your chest pain than ole' Joe. Not that Joe's a bad guy-he's just not a medical expert. Well, American foreign and domestic policy are a lot more complicated, and have a lot more consequence, than your chest pain. Why should we expect anything less than the best from our Nation's leaders? Why should we not want the smartest, most accomplished persons to occupy the ranks of America's highest offices?
"You betcha" Sarah Palin-who attended five colleges in six years before managing to graduate-exemplifies the politics of stupid. Fittingly, she coined the Joe Six Pack phrase during last year's campaign. With the release of Going Rogue, Palin has monopolized the airwaves, chastising the Obama Administration for ignoring the views and values of "real" Americans.
What peeves me is not her ideological disagreement with the Obama Administration; it's that she justifies her disagreement by pointing to the dissent of her average Joe supporters. For example, the Democrats' healthcare plan has galvanized legitimate debate among supporters and critics. Palin's beef with the plan, however, is that real (i.e., uninformed and stupid) Americans disagree with it, which, according to Palin, evidences the plan's failings. God bless conservative columnists Peggy Noonan and Kathleen Parker for calling Palin out for the idiot she is.
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