In an effort to console myself about the ongoing idiocy, shallowness, and short-sightedness of our current president's policies, I sometimes think, "no matter who it is, Republican or Democrat, our next president will be better." Admittedly it sounds like a jinx, but after six years of Bush failure, it seems inevitable.

And yet, it's only February of 2007 and I'm already ashamed and appalled with the gaggle of two-faced, pandering fools who are clustering hungrily around the beginnings of the 2008 presidential race.

First of all, the mass media deserves a rebuke for so intensely focusing on this race which isn't even a race yet. Day in and day out, there's coverage that amounts to gossip-column, he-said-she-said reporting of every comment and incident involving every candidate or potential candidate. Barack Obama or Mitt Romney announcing they're running for president is news. Every single thing they say or do on every day since then is not news. Not yet.

But the ridiculous amount of coverage has had one benefit: it's revealed almost all the current crop of contenders to be shallow, insincere panderers who are leaving all dignity and genuineness behind in a grab for power.

It's a syndrome that crosses party lines and falls into all-too-familiar cliches. On the Republican side, we have a group of men so lustful for power that they're reinventing themselves, hurriedly papering over their previous lives and beliefs in a frenzied effort to seem the most God-fearing, socially conservative candidate. Of course, it's painfully transparent that this is insincere and only designed to woo the religious-right base, but the last couple elections shows that this works--millions of conservative Christians fell into a rapturously hypnotic state over Bush's Bible-talk, and are still buying it years later.

Thus, previously moderate John McCain, current moderate Rudy Giuliani, and former liberal Mitt Romney are stumbling over each other in an effort to seem like a cross between Jesus and Ronald Reagan, for the support of a powerful crowd who don't seem to be able to distinguish the two. This week John McCain went so far as to say, literally, "what's wrong with sucking up to everybody?" While one could give him the credit to think he was making an oblique point about a politician deferring to the needs of his constituents, in light of his recent actions, it's a painfully telling, ironic statement.

On the Democratic side, there's a similar pursuit of practicality over ideals. The party is still being chastised for a "slick Willie" pursuit of image over character, but again, Democrats see that it worked--Clinton, like Bush, was a two-term president. (Though I have to assert that, while a philanderer in his personal life, Clinton was a vastly superior politician and thinker.) So we have a race to the middle, a bland, position-free collection of sound-bites that resists real bravery or strength. The black candidate, the woman candidate, the Southern candidate--their names aren't important, as they're little more than a collection of carefully-sculpted poll-friendly message points and soft-focus images--don't get too close, or examine who we really are! You'll find there's sadly little there. The three groups listed above, and all of us, deserve better.

And these are the current front-runners to lead the most powerful nation in the world. (Hold your horses, China, you'll be there soon.)

Just as with most elections, the smaller-time, lesser-known candidates will likely be more sincere and stronger advocates of actual positions. I already have more respect for Huckabee and Richardson and Vilsack than the panderers in the media spotlight. That very spotlight will once again be resistant to anyone who doesn't look the part, anyone without that star quality.

We've seen what years of politics-as-usual has done to our country. The last congressional election has given us a chance to start turning it around. But so far, the presidential race is looking depressingly cynical and familiar. Is there any hope left that there's something more important in this country than gargantuan amounts of money, shallow feel-good platitudes, and a TV-ready smile?

We'll find out in 21 months.

Labels: Politics