I have to admit, I am a semi-reformed political junkie. In a former life I was a political consultant and ad-man for some very powerful players in the Democratic party, at least the Democratic party of the state and surrounding region where I live. Ten years ago I changed professions, I teach now, and entered a twelve step program to free my life of politics. Thanks to the support of my loving wife I have been politically sober for over 6 years now.
This week, however, I fell off the wagon, tempted by the sweet liquor of a breaking political scandal in the form of a secretly recorded video featuring one Mitt Romney dismissing 47% of Americans as tax mooching, victims and freeloaders I spent Monday evening, into the wee hours, drinking shot after shot of the hard stuff from the bar (aka the political blogosphere) before I knew it I was drunk on the scandal. Sipping, then gulping the straight bourbon being served up at the Huffington Post, finally downing whole bottles of the stuff directly from Mother Jones, I was enjoying the intoxicating effect of watching a presidential candidate dig his own political grave with mainstream America, high on the buzz of seeing him make jokes about wishing he were Hispanic when it hit me....
I looked up, there was a show on my TV's muted screen and I got it.... Mitt Romney is actually Michael Garry Scott from The Office! He is the guy who is supposed to be in charge, likable... sort of... until he says something that makes everyone in the room cringe, inept and bumbling but still somehow he remains in the bosses chair, left there by his superiors because it's easier than trying to get rid of him, he will say anything, suck up to anybody, to try and get people to like him. Steve Carell plays the character of the incompetent leader beautifully and to great effect, his character is the embodiment of the "Peter Principle" (a belief that in an organization where promotion is based on achievement, success, and merit, that organization's members will eventually be promoted beyond their level of ability).
From my politically drunken haze I had a moment of clarity: this is how Mitt plays the character of a politician, while undoubtedly a smart man in some respects, Mitt is a as clueless as cow flop when it comes to reading people or having any empathy whatsoever, as a candidate he is a real life Xerox copy of Michael Gary Scott of Dunder Miffland!
This post is my admission to the world that fell off the wagon, I'm now sober again, trying to ignore politics, I know who I am voting for in November even though it won't make any difference, my state is heavily Romney despite his bumbling and screw ups, lack of specifics and being born with a silver spoon protruding from every orifice.
I have no regrets about my binge Monday evening, I am still feeling the effects of such hard drink after a long stretch of political sobriety. It did finally allow me to make the connection between The Office and one of the worst run campaigns in a generation, while you may not mind having Michael Gary Scott of Dunder Miffland as a neighbor, and he may make an affable drinking partner (pun intended), you definitely don't want this guy as President!