Maggie's Farm

I have worked in both bidness and politricks on several levels for long enough to know that, of the two, business is the much more honorable profession. That is to say, politics has the potential to corrupt even the most honest man quicker than business.

Humble, honest, caring and sincerely patriotic individuals tend to make lousy candidates. Ruthless, arrogant, opportunistic charlatans tend to be very good at the game of politics. Their mercenary, sycophantic, idolizing hangers-on will do anything to get their candidate elected. Anything. I know this. It is rare that a race is won with the utmost attention to honest and above-board tactics. And only the most arrogant will continue after initial defeats, until they win something. And even the most humble victor will have a challenge remaining humble after the inevitable re-election.

Naturally, there are exceptions to this rule, but they are very few and even farther between. History is not always kind to them. In can be surmised that, since George Washington, each successive presidency has declined by some measure, in either integrity, or ability, or character, or a combination thereof, until we have reached our present nadir.

And it has always been thus in the House and Senate. Local politics is only marginally better, owing to the fact that you run into these people in the local market, so they have to eventually make eye contact with you.