WE NEED SOMETHING STRONGER THAN STEEL

By Selwyn Duke
March 19, 2009
NewsWithViews.com

Most of us place politicians down at the level of used-car salesmen, personal injury lawyers and Hollywood actors. In fact, they’re much like actors, only their acting is generally a bit better. But we tend to miss the point about our leaders. The problem with politicians is that they’re trying to please us.

Mind you, I don’t mean they’re trying to please those of us who read and render commentary. They don’t have to worry about us fringe types – we don’t really command many votes. We’re like a pesky fly they can’t quite swat (although they’re trying to with measures such as the Fairness Doctrine). My point is that if they were trying to please God, they would be godly men. But as the great Alan Keyes has proven, that doesn’t tend to win elections. So the successful ones try to please the masses, but this doesn’t make them massive men. It makes them minor men.

A case in point is Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who recently proved his Lilliputian status in a now notorious GQ interview, one showing that the best way to get a politician to change positions is to change his audience. And the problem wasn’t confined to just what has drawn him the most criticism: Abortion. But let’s start with that. Here is the portion of the interview dealing with it:

Are you saying you think women have the right to choose abortion?
Yeah. I mean, again, I think that’s an individual choice.
You do?
Yeah. Absolutely.

That’s pretty clear, right? Well, this is perhaps where Steele said to himself, “Oops! Did I really say that?â€