Of the People, By the People, and Go to Your Room!

My wife recently related to me an encounter she had with one of those petition people outside a store. I'm sure you've run into one before. They approach you as you leave, your arms full of purchases, and ask you to sign a petition for some cause or issue. My wife's petition person had a good hook: A proposal to eliminate "career politicians".

I must say that, at first, the concept sounds very appealing. Who wouldn't think so? We all know those politicians are evil. We don't want them taking over, do we? So we should do all we can from letting them get entrenched in those cushy jobs of theirs. I mean, throw the bums out! We want fresh meat! Stir the pot a little!

People in general have pretty low opinions of politicians. I'm not exactly sure how they rate in their lowness, as opposed to, say, used car salesmen. But nobody likes them. Even Mark Twain said, "There is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress."

And who can blame us? Look how many scandals there are. Seems every politician these days has something shady in their past. It's gotten so routine that people don't even care any more. Look at all hoo-hah surrounding the Clintons and that Whitewater deal. But after the media feeding frenzy is over, has anything really changed? With bills and grocery shopping and soccer practice and fixing dinner and work and everything else going on in our lives, are we really that worried about a couple of shady deals that all those rich people do all the time anyway? The idealist in us wants to say, "Yes." But the realist in us says, "Did I remember to start the dishwasher?"

So that got me to thinking about the petition and the dreaded "career politicians". First of all, what other kinds of politicians are there? I suppose there'd be "weekend warrior" types. Also the moonlighters doing it part-time for a little extra money. Even an idealist or two out to do the right thing. But they all pale in comparison to the Real Thing.

I think we want the politicians in it for the long haul. You don't go to a part-time dentist, do you? A lawyer paying the bills by being a waiter? I'm sure we'd rather have someone in it for the long term, one who knows what to do and to whom they should do it. I mean, if you've got to be crooked to make it politics, shouldn't you back a pro?

I think the real problem people have with elected officials is that they are too much like parents. Actually, more like step-parents that you pick in some sort of twisted, reverse adoption. But think about the relationship: They tell you what to do and what's good for you, while you bitch about them to your friends. Sound familiar? It also helps explain why there's so much voter apathy. Who wants more parents?