I hear this all the time: \u201cI\u2019m tired of politicians. I want someone real, someone like me, someone from outside that world\u2014I\u2019m not voting for a politician.\u201d<\/p>\n
I can understand, to an extent, those who are tired of \u201ccareer politicians.\u201d\u00a0 They\u2019re tired of those who sound too polished, too smooth, and coached. They\u2019re tired of people who don\u2019t just \u201ctell it like it is,\u201d who are so balanced and cautious in their words, they offend no one and try to play both sides of any issue. They are also skeptical of those who have been in office too long and who\u2019ve lost touch with the \u201creal\u201d world. I get it.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s probably the reason some voted for Trump\u2014people who otherwise would have never even considered it. This link<\/a> speaks to that phenomena. From the link:<\/p>\n Mark Cuban: \u201cOne of my friends in Texas explained it to me best when I said, \u2018Look, I know this guy, he\u2019s not smart. He only cares about himself. He\u2019s going to put himself ahead of the country, which effectively is what he\u2019s done. I said, \u2018Why are you voting for him?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe goes to me, \u2018I\u2019ve been voting for politicians my entire life. You know what they\u2019ve done for me? Nothing. You know the definition of insanity. I\u2019m not voting for a politician.\u2019 That I think is what Donald walked through and what Donald walked into.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think (Trump) created a movement. I think he found a movement and rode it.\u201d<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know that Trump \u201cfound\u201d this movement more than he probably stumbled into it, but regardless, the timing was perfect. We now know that Trump wasn\u2019t really interested in being president and never thought he would win. He was doing it to get his name and \u201cbrand\u201d out there to leverage into future real estate or media deals.<\/p>\n We now know he\u2019s been hemorrhaging money for decades and owes people close to a billion dollars<\/a>, which is coming due soon. As his former attorney, Michael Cohen, has now admitted, the 2015-16 run for the presidency was a big infomercial<\/a> and no one expected Trump would actually win. Even they<\/em> didn\u2019t think most voters would be that reckless.<\/p>\n Even if it was Mr. Magoo like, he did win the electoral college, if not the popular vote. He won because small margins in three states gave him the electoral college majority. We may never know, but it could be those small margins were made up of people like Cuban\u2019s friend. They wanted someone like Trump, who wasn\u2019t a career politician\u2013someone who wasn\u2019t polished or measured in their words nor actions.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the deal. I\u2019m going to go out on a limb and suggest that I doubt Cuban\u2019s friend is someone being paid minimum wage or even someone making the average annual salary in America, which is about $50k.\u00a0 If his friend is making much more than that, let\u2019s say $100k or more per year, then exactly what is it this person wants \u201cpoliticians\u201d to do for them?<\/p>\n Normally people making that much money have health insurance. They own homes. If they are prudent and fortunate, they are not living paycheck to paycheck. They have a savings and 401k.\u00a0 So, what\u2019s the problem?<\/p>\n I think the problem is something else. It\u2019s something cultural and ideological. It may even be nostalgic and racial. Perhaps even religious.<\/p>\n For those who are part of the working class, who make minimum wage or $50k annually or less, what were their reasons for voting for Trump?\u00a0 We know that most white males<\/a>, without college degrees, voted for Trump (64% to 28%). Why?<\/p>\n Honestly, I think they did for the same reasons as those making a lot more and not having the same financial worries. I think it was because of cultural, ideological, nostalgic (\u201cMake America Great Again\u201d), racial, and religious reasons.<\/p>\n In my opinion, this idea that a non-politician, either a plain-speaking regular Joe or a successful businessperson, celebrity, or personality would serve us better is a myth. Why would we think their \u201csuccess,\u201d whatever it might be, would translate as to grasping political philosophy, foreign policy, economics, history, or legislation? Too often the so-called champion of the \u201ccommon person,\u201d is a populist con. Guess what? They saw you coming.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s something: Quit giving your power away to people who will just use you. They already think you are ignorant and na\u00efve, don\u2019t continue to prove them right.<\/p>\n Look, regardless of whether a person has a college education, or whether they\u2019re a career politician, or \u201csuccessful,\u201d the supreme test for political leadership should be character. Is this person honest and authentic?\u00a0 Do they exhibit integrity, honor, humility, and ethical actions? Are they kind and empathetic? How do they think about, or treat, the \u201cleast of these?\u201d\u00a0 Are they wise? Intelligent?<\/p>\n Second, has the person demonstrated leadership in whatever sphere of life they came from? Did people want to follow them? Did they do so out of respect\u2026or a paycheck? How do the people who worked with them in the past, talk about them now?<\/p>\n Don\u2019t look for a regular Joe, personality, celebrity, or entrepreneur just because they \u201ctell it like it is,\u201d or sound like your bartender (nothing against them, many are indeed wise!).<\/p>\n Further, don\u2019t look down on those who can string a complete sentence together and are articulate. If you think someone is speaking over your head, rise higher, don\u2019t blame the speaker.\u00a0 Pick up an effing book. And don\u2019t look down on those who have spent their lives in public service; the people they represent could have voted them out. They didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n Look for the person of character who\u2019s a recognized leader (regardless of their career history).\u00a0 Look for the statesperson (remember those<\/a>?). Look for the person who will make us rise, who will challenge us (even name our flaws), make us reflect, and be better citizens. Go with that person, even if you don\u2019t agree with them on every issue.\u00a0 Could that person be a regular Joe, successful entrepreneur, or even a career politician?\u00a0 Of course. But none of those histories should ultimately matter.<\/p>\n In my opinion, the whole \u201ccareer politician\u201d objection is a ruse, a distraction. So too, the \u201cI want the average person or \u201csuccessful\u201d person, rant- as it too often (without a hint of self-awareness) is code for: \u201cI want someone as ignorant as me,\u201d or, \u201cMy view of \u2018success\u2019 is very shallow.\u201d\u00a0 Either is entirely backassward (and scarily revealing) for choosing a political (any?) leader.<\/p>\n Rather, ask if the person is or could be a statesperson. Ask if you would trust this person with your security, family, job, finances, and the well-being of the country.<\/p>\n No candidate is perfect. I\u2019m not suggesting perfection as the goal. The point remains:<\/p>\n