Barack Obama, author. Jimmy Carter, author. Bill AND Hilary Clinton, George W, Bush Sr, Al Franken, Sarah Palin, Jim DeMint, Newt Gingrich, Al Gore, and a slew of other politicians . . . all authors. I could include John McCain in that list, except it is a pretty well established belief that Mark Salter actually wrote the books while John gave him all the details. Although, most of these books probably had a ghost writer in the mix somewhere.
The point is, if these politicians have so much time to go ahead and write books, why can't they get things going in the area for which they were actually hired. I can defend some of the authors here, like Clinton and Bush and Palin, who wrote these tomes AFTER the fact. But even with them, why did they save their best toil and sweat for themselves? Couldn't they have expended such energies on serving the public and getting things right in the Legislature, Supreme Court, and Executive Branches?
As much as I like Palin and DeMint, were books really necessary?
Am I serious?
Of course not. Really, what does it matter? Why would we care if they make millions more by exploiting their previous (or current) political offices?
Maybe because, as a writer, it makes it harder for us "normal" folk to get anyone to look at us seriously when we submit to an agent or a publishing house? How can we get editors to look at our column or opinion submissions when the likes of Sen. DeMint write opinion pieces for the Wall Street Journal? How can lowly mainstream stringers or alternate media journalists compete against the Ron Paul's of the political world when they want to get a piece published in the Washington Times? Or how can we mere mortal scribes go up against such powerhouses like Sarah Palin, who, at the mere mention of her name with a book, gets it another 100 million copies potentially sold?
But other than that, what does it matter? Does John Q. and Jane Q. Public care?
They seem to do just that. But for the wrong reason. They care because they can't wait to get their hands on or debate about or argue from a new book by a politician.
The real reason, and yes the real reason I am writing about this, is that most of these books try to explain what they would have, could have or should have done while in office. Yet they did not. Sen. DeMint's latest tome, The Great American Awakening: Two Years that Changed America, Washington, & Me, discusses everything from the consequences of the years since President Obama's election win for the White House to legislation and the grassroots movement of Americans being "stirred" to make changes in DC. And even though he has been a whirlwind of activity in the midterm elections and getting sound bites on the news that have gotten him the label of "Senator Tea Party," he still has not done much in the way of shaping leadership and opposition to the wrong path America is steaming full force down.
As much as I applaud anyone's individual efforts to improve their situation and their family's situation, as well as their work in securing a legacy, I do wish our political figures would stick with the business of running this country instead of making certain to run this country into the ground. I wish we could have serious people who take seriously the business of America. I wish we could get the Pelosi's, Reids, McConnells, Clyburns and all the rest of these poll eyed, publicity hound, re-election minded jerks off the book tours and back into the chambers of politics where they can sit down, work together and get this country back to the grand hope it has always represented in the hearts and minds of its citizens and the rest of the world. Let their publicists or their lackeys or their community liaison people do the public opinion thing, do the "feel for the pulse of the people" thing, or run the "get me re-elected" thing. Sit down, balance the pros and cons, and get America running again. Stop the leak of our economy, stop the fizzling of our international reputation, get jobs going, stop spending more than we have (in other words do what average Americans are having to do every day) and make Americans proud to be Americans.
You can agree or disagree. Call me a crack pot, whiner or misdirected. Or call me brilliant and right on target. Or even something in between. It really makes no matter to me. So long as I get you thinking for yourself and not listening to the rhetoric of anyone else, then I have indeed done my job. Because heck, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.
Have a great day.
Charles
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