a frightening thought

First seen over at The Daily Dish, from ProfessorBainbridge.com:

I think it says something bad about our culture that people like the Hiltons and Kardashians can vault into celebrity status without having accomplished anything.

But I think it says something even worse about our culture that we are starting to pick our leaders this way. We face serious problems and a growing list of serious threats. We need leaders who are serious people. Not leaders who are famous for being famous.

Referring, of course, to the Palins and Scott Browns of the political world.  Frightening, don't you think?  Why are we doing this to ourselves?

Comments

[Christopher C NC]

I think only a subset of we is doing that blindly and to the extreme. The rest of the we are just as susceptible and must guard against the highly emotional and tribal aspects of politics that has been so well studied and marketed to the voting consumer.

It's what sells and it will continue until the we stop buying.

[Kay Wade]

"...that has been so well studied and marketed to the voting consumer."
Woof.
The marketing of our politicians is a point well taken. We need some serious campaign reform. Being able to buy time, buy space, and generally buy exposure to promote some fool who will promote your agenda turns the political process into a farce.
Typical of our fast-food culture... who wants to really study important issues and understand positions? Much easier to vote for the better looking person, or the one who goes to the same church as we do, or the one who made some snarky comment. We vote personality, not issues... so sad. Oh! I just can't wait to move to SC! I'm'a gonna be so proud.

[Meredith]

There are probably lots of factors contributing. Just off the top of my head: information overload, failing educational system, television propaganda, the triumph of the glossy magazine mentality, the need for heroes in a dying empire, lack of real leadership resulting in a kind of vacuum...

As a recent transplant to South Carolina (Kay, just stay away), I'm rather frightened recently by the decided turn toward extremist politics, far-right xenophobia, and the racist undertones of our politically desperate class becoming rather overt, not to mention the panicked drumbeat of religious fantasies kicking up as we face the consequences of decades of ignoring the earth's resource constraints and our fellow human beings to go on a commercial orgy. What worries me most is that these people have lots of guns...

[Susan Tomlinson]

Some days I just despair of how messed up it all is. So I focus on my students, who seem to have it together.

[kate]

It is frightening, but to be expected when we want information in 30 second sound bites or contained within 140 characters. (Sarah Palin scares me the most ~ and I'm not even American!)

[Janet]

Read this Leonard Pitts this morning --http://www.freep.com/article/20100216/OPINION05/2160319/1068/opinion/Test-the-nation-Sarah-Palin-and-run-for-president

[lostlandscape (James)]

Sad comment that what seems to rate highest on people's requirements for a leader is that they be telegenic. Picking a pair of shoes for their sex appeal shouldn't be the same mental process as selecting our elected leaders...