Just Say “Gosh, No!” to Dullards in High Office
If I need to have my spleen removed, I want someone truly exceptional doing the job, and not Jo Sixpack. I want the surgeon whose brilliance and creativity and education make him or her stand out from the crowd and even arouse the envy and resentment of ordinary people. Does that make me an elitist? If so, I'm okay with that. I'll let the non-elitists have the surgeon with the 100 IQ.
High elected office is no different. I spend enough time dealing with dullard elected officials in the courthouse that I know that I don't want any more in the White House. I don't want my elected officials to say "eye-rack" for Iraq. Or "eye-ran" for Iran. Or "nucular". I don't want a Vice President who thinks that what that office needs, after eight years of Dick Cheney, is more power. Or one who can't name a single news periodical (seriously: "all of them"?). Or one who can't name a single Supreme Court case (other than Roe v. Wade... and Roe v. Wade).
The Bill of Rights: that's where you'll find our freedoms, and it'd be very hard for outsiders to take it away. The last people to have a chance? Maybe the British in 1814? Arguably the Nazis in WWII? Certainly not the Viet Cong or the people of Iraq or Al Qaeda.
It'd be hard, for that matter, for insiders to take it away unless we gave it up. We won't give it up unless we're scared. What are you scared of? There are things worse than death. Some would have us give up our freedoms to protect... our "freedoms". I understand "economic freedom" (the freedom to keep Wal-Mart afloat),but I don't even know what "national security freedom" could possiblybe. I don't want anyone anywhere near the halls of power who thinksthat calling something a freedom makes it a freedom. When we fight terrorism, we're not fighting for our freedom but for our safety. Not that there's anything wrong with that - I'd give up a lot for safety, but I'd give safety up for freedom.
It's nice to think that quite literally anyone could be president. But just because they could doesn't mean they should.