Something's Rotten In the Closet

[ehbowen]

I would like to believe that those we elect to high office are truly our best and brightest, and worthy of the honor. But more and more, it seems, a prerequisite for elevation to high office is to have some sordid scandal in your past that some faceless handler can use to exert leverage upon you.

I was directed to this article by Ron Unz who looks at many prominent political figures of recent times and the sordid revelations of their past. I agree that there are too many for it to be mere coincidence.

Fair Use Quote:

Perhaps I’ve led an overly sheltered life, but my impression is that only a tiny sliver of Americans have had a long record of child molestation, and all things being equal, it seems rather unlikely that someone of such a background but who possesses no other great talents or skills would rise to near the absolute top of our political heap. So perhaps not all things were otherwise equal. If some powerful elements held the hard evidence that placed a particular elected official under their total control, making great efforts to elevate him to Speaker of the House would be a very shrewd investment.

American Pravda: John McCain, Jeffrey Epstein, and Pizzagate

[MadZealot]

I would like to believe that those we elect to high office are truly our best and brightest, and worthy of the honor. But more and more, it seems, a prerequisite for elevation to high office is to have some sordid scandal in your past that some faceless handler can use to exert leverage upon you.

Who is the 'faceless handler', here? The so-called "deep state"?

[Darkhawk]

Who is the 'faceless handler', here? The so-called "deep state"?

I suspect it's related to the "they" who wouldn't let someone inappropriate onto the ballot, so obviously it's AOK to vote for whoever's there.

Anything to let an uninformed and uninterested electorate get away with ducking responsibility for actually paying attention to who they vote for.

But really, in a world where someone can brag about committing sexual violence and still get elected, it's a bit far-fetched to actually believe that "sordid" actions have any sort of reliable consequences.  They never have, and it's hard to feel optimistic that they ever will when any attempt at accountability gets shot down.

On the one hand, "they" - the electorate, the people who decide who gets on the ballots and then into office - can't make decisions on things they don't know, of course, but the actual evidence is that the electorate doesn't care.  Violence against women?  No biggie. Fraud?  Anyone would scam people out of millions given the opportunity, right?  Exponential gain in wealth from special interests deals while in office, well beyond the actual salary the job pays?  Business as usual.  Actively campaigning for the deaths of people who were not only not guilty, but proven innocent of a crime?  Apparently a selling point, 'cos they weren't white.  Hanging out with sex traffickers?  Everyone who is anyone goes to those parties, and anyway those kids are whores who deserve what they get.

And if someone actually does make sure there's consequences for a politician it's years of blamegame on them and everyone who agreed with them for being so terrible as to hold the asshole accountable, becuse obviously that sort of behaviour ought to be excused if the asshole's on "our side".  "Our side" is apparently a pass for a multitude of sins.

No shadowy conspiracy is required to explain it when people are out there voting for these shitheads and saying "Well, They wouldn't let them on the ballot if they were that bad" and "That was just a minor incident, isn't having them in office to put forward Our Agenda more important?"

There's no test keeping shitheads from trying to get on the ballot.  The filter is just who votes for them, and "being a shithead" is not something many voters consider to be disqualifying.  After all, isn't "politician" a job for the underhanded and unethical by definition?  Everyone Knows that politicians are scum, right?  Voila: lots of shitheads get elected.

Once upon a time, people would say "Vote for the crook, it's important" when it was about opposing a Klansman and choosing between scumbags; now the same Klansman makes vehement noise about his moral support for a news personality and some people treat it as an insignificant event.

No shadowy conspiracy is required when some people operate under the ruleset "Nothing matters except my political agenda" or the delusion "Someone else will stop the bad actors, it's not up to me to do my part."