The No-Shave November Logs, Day 5: Making The Tough Call

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I am not a fan of politicians. I have very strong beliefs about and for/against referendums and initiatives (CLICK HERE to read my lengthy take on Washington's R-74) because they not only directly affect our day-to-day lives, but they are concrete and knowable. You only have to read your voter's pamphlet and you can get all the information necessary to make a well-informed choice on any referendum, initiative, or measure up for a vote.

Not so with politicians.

With the possible exception of local office (I say possible, because I can't swear to even this small concession) politicians are completely unknowable. Unless you're some sort of master researcher, in this day and age it is impossible to sift through all of the fabricated, apocryphal, unreliable, and/or deliberately falsified garbage that is clogging the information superhighway and get some real information on the people we're electing to lead our country. When everyone has (nearly) unrestricted access to the primary source of both information gathering and dissemination, all information becomes unreliable, because there is no accountability system for any of it. Needless to say, I don't have much hope for the future of the office of President.

I voted for Barack Obama in 2008, and I voted for him again just today, but I want to make one thing crystal clear: I only voted for him because he is black. Years ago, when I totally lost all faith in politicians, I swore to myself that I would only vote for one if a black person, a woman, a native American, or a homosexual was up for either President or Vice President, because those are the two highest offices in our country and those are the the groups that have - in my estimation - been the most oppressed. I know some of you are going to argue for some other groups, but I've considered them all, and only those four meet my personal criteria.

That is the only reason I will ever vote for a politician, because if my only standard is that they be black, female, native, or homosexual then at least I know I'm getting what I signed up for.

Now, I am a pragmatist, and am therefore willing to admit that I may - in the distant future - find a politician I can actually have some faith in. If that day comes I can assure you that I will vote for him or her, regardless of who is running against them. However, I should emphasize the fact that only recognize this as a possibility because I believe in miracles. If I was a strict empiricist I would have to say that, based on all available evidence, it will never happen.


DAILY NO-SHAVE NOVEMBER PIC:

I call this look Lost Hope.


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