Oct. 23rd, 2012

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That is, if you also count the vice-presidential debate.

When I went to Russia, we visited with the mayor of a small 'burb outside of Moscow. This guy was a nuclear physicist, but in the new Russia, not as many physicists were needed. So, many scientists went into business or politics. This guy was actually a celebrity on an expert think tank show, and that helped him win the election.

The group of professors I was traveling with had many questions for the mayor, including a question focusing on whether Russia was a better place now that Russia was exercising the right to vote someone into office, rather than having people in appointed positions. What the mayor said stayed with me. He wasn't sure that elections were better than appointments. Elections meant you had to get people to like you. You had to put on a show. You couldn't always say what you thought. You had to appeal to popularity. And you couldn't always do what you thought of as the right thing.

***

Pluses and minuses, I know. But that swings us right into talking about Wrestlemania Smackdown IIIthe debates. No wonder Romney is confused. And no wonder, especially in last night's debate, Obama is occasionally this person I feel is less than presidential.

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Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

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