Everyone makes decisions about what they like and dislike. Clearly we only eat foods that we like, listen to music that we like, go places that we like, and hang out with people that we like. If you don't like something or someone, of course, you aren't going to want to have anything to do with it. That makes sense. But, it only makes sense when you are evaluating those things which you can truly determine whether or not you like them. You have to be able to have some sort of tangible data on which to base your decision. That's why I do not understand this likability factor that some people use when determining who they will choose as President of the United States.
For years, pollsters have asked voters to share how well they "like" certain candidates. They will compare their favorable ratings to their unfavorable ratings. They will ask them things like, "Which candidate would you rather have a beer with?" Or, "Which candidate would you want to hang out and watch a ball game with?" And people actually answer these questions as though there is a possibility that they might have a beer or watch football with one of the candidates and that is somehow a determining factor in why they would trust them to be in charge of the world's largest free market economy. Huh?
I just don't get people who say simplistic things like, "I really like the President. He seems like such a good husband and father." By all accounts, he does appear to be a good husband and a good father. I'm sure that is very good for his wife and his daughters. His daughters deserve a good and decent father, and his wife deserves a loving husband. What I don't understand is how these very same people made hideous comments about George Bush when he was in office. By all accounts, he was a good and decent father and a very good husband. Yet, that didn't seem to matter to the Bush haters. And what about Clinton? He seemed like a good dad......but, the husband part is a pretty iffy.........still, he was very popular, very popular! Wink! Wink! Historians documented that Pol Pot was a loving husband and father. However, as communist leader of the Khmer Rouge his regime slaughtered millions of innocent Cambodians. Go figure!
Another favorite of mine, "He seems so sincere when he is speaking." Uh....okay. You do know that he is reading a speech that someone else wrote off of a telepromter? Right? In other words, he is really good at reading someone else's words. Have you ever noticed how bumbly he gets when he goes off prompter? It is during those times that we get the gaffes, "I have been to 57 states and have one more to go." Or the offensive remarks like the one on Leno early in his Presidency when he said that he bowled like someone in the Special Olympics. Maybe he was hanging out with Bill Maher the night before, and he just couldn't get all those hateful jokes about Sarah Palin's special needs child out of his head.......whatever. Or the more recent reveal of his true heart.....The "You didn't build that!" comment that showed business owners the true nature of the beast. You see, he is sincerely good at trying to get you to believe what he wants you to believe, most of the time.
I don't understand how it can be about "liking" one or the other. How can you like someone that you don't even know? Someone that you will never know let alone even meet! And even if you do get the rare opportunity to meet one or the other of the candidates, for how long? Ten seconds? Ten minutes? Is that long enough to determine if you like them or not? So the candidate has a great smile, is good looking, has a way with words. So did Ted Bundy! That's how he got so many women to feel comfortable enough to let him get close enough to them so he could brutally murder them! Appearances are deceiving!
Qualifications are more important than likability. How qualified someone is to do a job matters so much more. Especially if you are not going to be spending a large amout time in close contact with this person. Let's say I'm looking to hire somone to paint my house. I have two guys applying for the job. One guy is a great painter. He has his own really successful painting business. As a matter of fact he has made quite a bit of money painting houses. However, he seems kind of awkward and doesn't seem to have that snazzy likability factor that would make me want to hang out with him. But, he says he will get the job done and for less money than what I expected to pay. The other guy however, has a great smile and is really cool. He has been running a government operated painting business for the last three years. The business is in debt and he hasn't gotten the number of houses painted that he promised he would paint. The houses he has painted don't look that hot, but he smiles and says it's the fault of the guy who ran the business before him. He gives me a quote that has all these hidden taxes in it. But he's so likable! Who should I hire? The guy who can paint my house without making a mess of it! Duh! Keep in mind we are not going to be hanging out and drinking beer together. I am hiring the guy to do a job. I want someone who can get the job done!
So you may think you like the guy, but you don't even know the guy. You like the image. Just like a mirage, it isn't real. The closer you get the faster it disappears. Look at the facts. Is he getting the job done? Unemployment 8.3%, economic growth 1.5%, gas prices up, inflation skyrocketing, consumer confidence down, national debt, deficit spending........the list could go on and on and on........There are so many bad things going on right now, it is hard to find something to like, let alone someone to like.
I know what I'd like; I'd like someone who could get this country working again. Someone who is qualified!
That's what I'd like!
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
What Is Your Standard?
I often find myself admiring those who can do things that I cannot do. I admire great athletes like those we see competing in the Olympics right now. The gymnasts, swimmers, divers, volleyball teams, cyclists, but most of all the track and field athletes are among my favorites. The discipline and dedication that it takes to compete at that level astounds me. I admire those who have musical talents and abilities. When I hear a great singer or musician, I find myself wishing I had that kind of talent. I also admire those who sacrifice themselves in service to others like soldiers, firefighters, and other first responders. But here lately, I have found myself developing a sick sense of admiration for a group of individuals who have the ability to do something beyond that which I could never do. The ability to have double standards and be a full blown hypocrite seems to be a refined talent that is apparently quite advantageous.
Hollywood celebrities are very good at the double standard. How many times have you heard the starlet proclaim that she doesn't want to be known for her looks. It is her talent and her contribution and body of work for which she wants to be remembered......and then she gets a nose job. Whatever....I'm not against plastic surgery. As a matter of fact, I'm all for it. Just don't pretend to be something that you are not. If you got a nose job, say, "I got a nose job." By the way....I got a nose job.
Or the "green" celebrities. "I don't use plastic bags because they harm the environment," and then they jump on a fossil fueled private jet and fly all over the world and stay in ginormous homes and condos that use more electricity than a small midwestern town. Not to mention, that their entire industry creates a huge amount of waste and pollution. Honestly, I don't care. The industry also generates a whole lot of revenue and jobs, and that is a good thing. I just don't appreciate Hollywood activists like Julia Louis Dreyfus who lobby Washington to block something like the XL Pipeline from Canada to the Gulf that would have created thousands of American jobs and boosted our economy all in the name of environmentalism while they do more damage to the environment on a daily basis themselves. I guess as long as it is their jet and their job it is "good" pollution. You know, because they don't use plastice bags at Whole Foods when they go grocery shopping and all.
Worse than Hollywood, however, is the lamestream media. It is not even a double standard with the media; it is standard operating procedure. It is what is to be expected. It is predictable. Recently was the fashion comparison between First Lady Michelle Obama and Ann Romney joining her husband on the campaign trail. Mrs. Romney was hammered by the media for wearing a designer blouse in an interview that cost $900 and how insensitive it was to out of work people. This was proof that the Romneys were "out of touch" with the American people. A few weeks later, Mrs. Obama wears a $6800 designer jacket to meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace and didn't she look spectacular? Ummm....can someone check the math for me? I'm sorry, but that's not a double standard......That's just saying we don't like you and were going to say mean things about you, but we like you and we are going to say nice things about you. That is not the job of the media! I think the First Lady of the United States should look spectacular when meeting the Queen of England. I think the wife of a man running for President of the United States has the right to buy and wear whatever blouse she wants. Either they both looked nice or they were both being extravagant! Maybe it was just the media making a stupid story for stupid people who won't pay attention to the real issues! Like the sluggish economy and 8.2% unemployment!
Really egregious though was the Rush Limbaugh/Bill Maher misogynist battle. Rush was beat up one side and down the other for calling Sandra Fluke a "slut" when she spoke on behalf of women and the need for healthcare to provide women like her who have access to an expensive education who will be gainfully employed with free birth control because for some reason it was going to be a hardship when she started making a six figure income after she graduated. Rush was wrong. He should have never used language like that about a women. It is inappropriate, and it was disappointing. Wanting free birth control for gainfully employed women who can afford it isn't "sluttly." It's just self-serving.
But when Bill Maher said horrific things about Sarah Palin........chirp, chirp, chirp......nothing but crickets. He called her the b-word, said she stupid, and call her the c-word. A word that makes most women cringe with disgust. He even said horrible things about her children and her special needs child! Granted the man is sick. But the best anyone could do was say, "Well, he's a comedian." Oh, so it was supposed to be funny? Not only did the media not hold him accountable, but President Obama accepted a $1,000,000 donation to his Presidential campaign.
So, that brings us to the worst ones of all, the politicians. Of course President Obama had to accept $1,000,000 from Bill Maher. I'm sure if you support the President, you probably agree. It is what they do. They do and say these things all the time. A recent survey showed that people are actually okay with their candidate lying in order to get elected. I'll let you look it up yourself so you can see which political party was more okay than the other with lying. I guess that is why we see them doing it more and more frequently.
How about the recent attacks on Mitt Romney because he has money in Swiss bank accounts? Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Chairperson of the Demorcratic National Committee made this allegation as though it were somehow against the law on Fox News Sunday one week. It didn't take but 24 hours for real journalists to finds that.......wait for it........Debbie Wasserman-Schultz has money in Swiss bank accounts and other overseas investments, as do many Senior White House Staff like Valerie Jarret, Jack Lew, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, and Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Oooops!
And now you have the politicians on the left pushing for Mitt Romney to release something like ten years worth of his tax returns. To prove what? That he's rich? So is Oprah. She must have done something evil and illegal. You have Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid using the REO Speedwagon refrain on the actual Senate floor, "I heard it from a friend whooooo, heard it from a friend whoooo......" implying that the former Governor may not have paid his taxes for the past ten years.........not that he has any actual proof. He actually said that! Congress was asked to release ONE year of tax returns. Guess who refuses to release even one year? Harry Reid!
So, I'm thinking; is this a double standard? Are these people being hypocrites? I really don't think they are. Just like the talented athletes and musicians mentioned earlier, this is what these people are really good at doing. Just like the talented athletes and musicians this is who they are. They take pleasure in what they are doing. They are bad people doing bad things for bad reasons. In many cases, they are bad people doing bad things to hurt GOOD people. This is their standard.
I said that I had a sick sense of admiration for these people. I don't. I could never do what they do. It is not who I am. Sometimes, I find myself wishing I could because there is this part of me that wants to be able to get some "payback." However, my better nature fortunately takes over and reminds me that the wicked will pay for their wicked ways.
But I wonder about those who continue to support these "hypocrites." If you support these people because you are misinformed......What are you going to do about it? What if you are just misguided? Do have to keep buying their excuses? But what if you truly support them and their ways? What does that say about you? Is it a double standard? Do you have a double standard? Some people will say that it depends. Depends on what? It is either right or wrong. Last time I checked Depends were adult diapers and only good for holding one thing.
Is that your standard?
Hollywood celebrities are very good at the double standard. How many times have you heard the starlet proclaim that she doesn't want to be known for her looks. It is her talent and her contribution and body of work for which she wants to be remembered......and then she gets a nose job. Whatever....I'm not against plastic surgery. As a matter of fact, I'm all for it. Just don't pretend to be something that you are not. If you got a nose job, say, "I got a nose job." By the way....I got a nose job.
Or the "green" celebrities. "I don't use plastic bags because they harm the environment," and then they jump on a fossil fueled private jet and fly all over the world and stay in ginormous homes and condos that use more electricity than a small midwestern town. Not to mention, that their entire industry creates a huge amount of waste and pollution. Honestly, I don't care. The industry also generates a whole lot of revenue and jobs, and that is a good thing. I just don't appreciate Hollywood activists like Julia Louis Dreyfus who lobby Washington to block something like the XL Pipeline from Canada to the Gulf that would have created thousands of American jobs and boosted our economy all in the name of environmentalism while they do more damage to the environment on a daily basis themselves. I guess as long as it is their jet and their job it is "good" pollution. You know, because they don't use plastice bags at Whole Foods when they go grocery shopping and all.
Worse than Hollywood, however, is the lamestream media. It is not even a double standard with the media; it is standard operating procedure. It is what is to be expected. It is predictable. Recently was the fashion comparison between First Lady Michelle Obama and Ann Romney joining her husband on the campaign trail. Mrs. Romney was hammered by the media for wearing a designer blouse in an interview that cost $900 and how insensitive it was to out of work people. This was proof that the Romneys were "out of touch" with the American people. A few weeks later, Mrs. Obama wears a $6800 designer jacket to meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace and didn't she look spectacular? Ummm....can someone check the math for me? I'm sorry, but that's not a double standard......That's just saying we don't like you and were going to say mean things about you, but we like you and we are going to say nice things about you. That is not the job of the media! I think the First Lady of the United States should look spectacular when meeting the Queen of England. I think the wife of a man running for President of the United States has the right to buy and wear whatever blouse she wants. Either they both looked nice or they were both being extravagant! Maybe it was just the media making a stupid story for stupid people who won't pay attention to the real issues! Like the sluggish economy and 8.2% unemployment!
Really egregious though was the Rush Limbaugh/Bill Maher misogynist battle. Rush was beat up one side and down the other for calling Sandra Fluke a "slut" when she spoke on behalf of women and the need for healthcare to provide women like her who have access to an expensive education who will be gainfully employed with free birth control because for some reason it was going to be a hardship when she started making a six figure income after she graduated. Rush was wrong. He should have never used language like that about a women. It is inappropriate, and it was disappointing. Wanting free birth control for gainfully employed women who can afford it isn't "sluttly." It's just self-serving.
But when Bill Maher said horrific things about Sarah Palin........chirp, chirp, chirp......nothing but crickets. He called her the b-word, said she stupid, and call her the c-word. A word that makes most women cringe with disgust. He even said horrible things about her children and her special needs child! Granted the man is sick. But the best anyone could do was say, "Well, he's a comedian." Oh, so it was supposed to be funny? Not only did the media not hold him accountable, but President Obama accepted a $1,000,000 donation to his Presidential campaign.
So, that brings us to the worst ones of all, the politicians. Of course President Obama had to accept $1,000,000 from Bill Maher. I'm sure if you support the President, you probably agree. It is what they do. They do and say these things all the time. A recent survey showed that people are actually okay with their candidate lying in order to get elected. I'll let you look it up yourself so you can see which political party was more okay than the other with lying. I guess that is why we see them doing it more and more frequently.
How about the recent attacks on Mitt Romney because he has money in Swiss bank accounts? Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Chairperson of the Demorcratic National Committee made this allegation as though it were somehow against the law on Fox News Sunday one week. It didn't take but 24 hours for real journalists to finds that.......wait for it........Debbie Wasserman-Schultz has money in Swiss bank accounts and other overseas investments, as do many Senior White House Staff like Valerie Jarret, Jack Lew, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, and Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Oooops!
And now you have the politicians on the left pushing for Mitt Romney to release something like ten years worth of his tax returns. To prove what? That he's rich? So is Oprah. She must have done something evil and illegal. You have Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid using the REO Speedwagon refrain on the actual Senate floor, "I heard it from a friend whooooo, heard it from a friend whoooo......" implying that the former Governor may not have paid his taxes for the past ten years.........not that he has any actual proof. He actually said that! Congress was asked to release ONE year of tax returns. Guess who refuses to release even one year? Harry Reid!
So, I'm thinking; is this a double standard? Are these people being hypocrites? I really don't think they are. Just like the talented athletes and musicians mentioned earlier, this is what these people are really good at doing. Just like the talented athletes and musicians this is who they are. They take pleasure in what they are doing. They are bad people doing bad things for bad reasons. In many cases, they are bad people doing bad things to hurt GOOD people. This is their standard.
I said that I had a sick sense of admiration for these people. I don't. I could never do what they do. It is not who I am. Sometimes, I find myself wishing I could because there is this part of me that wants to be able to get some "payback." However, my better nature fortunately takes over and reminds me that the wicked will pay for their wicked ways.
But I wonder about those who continue to support these "hypocrites." If you support these people because you are misinformed......What are you going to do about it? What if you are just misguided? Do have to keep buying their excuses? But what if you truly support them and their ways? What does that say about you? Is it a double standard? Do you have a double standard? Some people will say that it depends. Depends on what? It is either right or wrong. Last time I checked Depends were adult diapers and only good for holding one thing.
Is that your standard?
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