Does America Got Talent?

Political talent, that is. And would we recognize actual political talent if we saw it?

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - WAVERLY JUNIOR HIGH, 1969 or so (GLOB) - The speeches by Class President Hopefuls were held today. One candidate told a story about going to the polls to vote. Not understanding what was meant, he had gone to the flag poles in the school yard. It was a funny bit of speechmaking, with a bit of self-deprecation thrown in. He won the election against a girl that made a speech about issues in the school and her desire to engage students.

The boy won. Was he qualified? I don’t know, I was 12 or 13. More importantly, who cared? No one. It was a popularity contest devoid of substance and heavy on feel good.

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Have things changed over the last 60 years?

Not so far as I can tell.

Watching TV it is hard not to notice that all the Democratic candidates are incessantly smiling. Pay attention next time you see a Democratic ad. You will see continuous smiling normally reserved for beauty pageants. It is an effective counter to the typically scowling face we see from Trump. The message from both is clear:

Harris supports her position with, at the core, “I’m not Trump.” And under her breath, “I’m not Biden either.”

Trump supports his position with, at the core, “I’m Trump.” And via almost every self-serving social media platform, “If you vote for a cackling crackpot you’re an idiot.”

Both positions seem to be resonating with their die hard core. What’s missing? That girl from my Jr. High wanting to talk about solutions and engaging the American people in conversations of substance. But remember, us juveniles voted for Not Substance. And we appear poised to do so in 2024.

From Texas we have:

Colin Allred has campaigned for Senate for more than a year as a bipartisan lawmaker, willing to compromise, recognizing nuance and ready to serve as a bridge between our polarized tribes in a time when politics is stuck in a partisan rut. If he can govern that way, Allred would make a better senator than his opponent, Ted Cruz. Texans should give him the chance. Source

“If Allred can govern that way, he would be a better senator and Texans should give him a chance.”

If? If. What The iF?

Vote for If.

Meanwhile to quote Rick Wilson of the Lincoln Project regarding Cruz, “You either hate him, or you hate him.”

Google “Why does everyone hate Ted Cruz,” and you get a fascinating look at his political history. He basically is not trusted by anyone. But read some of the reasons why. I found myself agreeing with his stated goals all while shaking my head at his tactics. Is he an effective politician if no one wants to work with him? No.

Which brings me to the question at hand: What is political talent exactly? I don’t think it would be anything that looked sexy or fun in a political ad. Political talent would be a deep understanding of the issues, a recognition that consensus is hard to get, and the willingness to put the country ahead of your political career. Many will disagree with that last part, opining instead that the ability to stay in office is a demonstration of political talent.

But is that the talent we truly want? I have to say No. We need more than candidates that can effectively campaign. We need people that can effectively govern, and I’m just wondering what that even looks like.

For starters, people we identify as possessing political talent should be people that can effectively govern.

Who can you point at and say with confidence, “I think they know what they are doing, I think they understand the long term ramifications. I think they know how to work toward consensus and the long term common good.” In short, who can you honestly look at and say, “I think they can effectively govern” based on facts regarding their skills and accomplishments, and not superficial presentation and feel good (or feel terrified) emotional manipulation?

If America’s Got Political Talent, please show me. I’m not seeing it. What I see are popularity contests, careful marketing schemes, and emotional manipulation. All playing to an audience of people who don’t seem to believe their vote matters enough to sort out who’s got talent. I fear we will lose our republic if we don’t wake up.