५ जानेवारी, २०२४

Speaking of disqualifying a presidential candidate...

Here's a famous quote from Gore Vidal: "Any American who is prepared to run for president should automatically by definition be disqualified from ever doing so."

३३ टिप्पण्या:

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves म्हणाले...

Gore Vidal is over-rated.
What does that even mean? We are to be leaderless?
Well, right now, we are leaderless.

OPEN SOUTHERN BORDER

RideSpaceMountain म्हणाले...

Power attracts psychopaths like food attracts bears.

Aggie म्हणाले...

He's channeling Groucho Marx: "I'd never join a club that would have me as a member"

Bob Boyd म्हणाले...

I don't think Nikki Haley would disqualified under this rule.

Quaestor म्हणाले...

Vidal desperately desired a reputation as a wag. Regrettably, the harder he tried to be witty the more his bon mots stank of patrician bile. The man wrote a comedy from which even Jerry Lewis couldn't extract a chortle. Gore Vidal wanted to be Swift, but he needed to be quicker.

Rocco म्हणाले...

The basic form of the joke is an old one. For example, Groucho Marx: “I would never be a member of a club that would have me as a member.”

wild chicken म्हणाले...

Vidal preferred to be drafted. Putting oneself forward as a candidate is so gauche.

Drago म्हणाले...

"Dozens of Democratic members have already called for the disqualification of up to 126 Republican colleagues under the same sweeping theory used against Trump. These efforts could easily place this country on a slippery slope to political chaos."--Jonathan Turley

GOPe: See? If we just get rid of Trump everything can go back to normal! Its really all about Trump and its all his fault. Paradise awaits us if Trump will just step aside.

Immanuel Rant म्हणाले...

"The major problem — one of the major problems, for there are several — one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them.

To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it.

To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.

To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem."

- Douglas Admas

William50 म्हणाले...


So would eliminate everyone that has been President except George Washington?

Patrick Henry म्हणाले...

Douglas Adams said it like this:

The major problem—one of the major problems, for there are several—one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them.
To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it.
To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.
To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem.
And so this is the situation we find: a succession of Galactic Presidents who so much enjoy the fun and palaver of being in power that they very rarely notice that they’re not. And somewhere in the shadows behind them—who? Who can possibly rule if no one who wants to do it can be allowed to?

Rabel म्हणाले...

Mindless cynicism. Not a good way to look at the world. Some seem to like it. Perhaps it feeds their ego in some way.

Terry म्हणाले...

Reminds of a science fiction story I read years ago. A supercomputer selects the president on this basis and the Secret Service go and kidnap the new president

Sean म्हणाले...

I have the same belief in the catch-22. Any person who desires a government position, I automatically distrust.

Joe Bar म्हणाले...

This follows Adam Carolla's rule that any man who volunteers to lead a scout troop on a camping trip should be denied. The leader should be the guy who wants the job the least.

narciso म्हणाले...

there's also the wrong lizard problem, Zaphod the blow hard who was all about himself, I dubbed obama zaphod was a figurehead for the real powers that be,

Lucien म्हणाले...

I’ve long felt that interest in taking a job as a censor should be disqualifying,

Heartless Aztec म्हणाले...

Waugh, Wilde, Vidal et al. No shortage of bon mot masters.

Jersey Fled म्हणाले...

Kind of like W.C. Fields claim that he would never join an organization that would accept him as a member.

traditionalguy म्हणाले...

CATCH 22 is back. But good news is that the MAGA Main Man a great communicator who wants good things for us.

n.n म्हणाले...

Progressive regression to the null space. Clever, I suppose.

Robert Cook म्हणाले...

"Gore Vidal is over-rated.
What does that even mean? We are to be leaderless?"


Apparently you lack the smarts to understand his point: Those who want to be "leaders" of the people are typically the least-suited for the job, as they are most interested in aggrandizing themselves (and their wealth and power) than they are interested in helping the people.

As put wonderfully succinctly by RideSpaceMountain above: "Power attracts psychopaths like food attracts bears."

Robert Cook म्हणाले...

"Vidal desperately desired a reputation as a wag. Regrettably, the harder he tried to be witty the more his bon mots stank of patrician bile. The man wrote a comedy from which even Jerry Lewis couldn't extract a chortle. Gore Vidal wanted to be Swift, but he needed to be quicker."

Vidal did have a reputation as a wag, not to overlook (and more important) as a writer of stature of both fiction and non-fiction. As for Jerry Lewis, he was the creep one hired to kill any potential for actual humor in a movie. His best film role was in THE KING OF COMEDY, where he essentially played himself (but with the real nasty dialed down).

traditionalguy म्हणाले...

In olden times we selected men of means who had already earned all the money they needed and being in their 60s faced soon coming death and the Judgement of God. Especially we selected retired lawyers as our Judges.

But after antibiotics extended life spans into the late 80s and the god of greed for power from wealth soared, it’s all becoming SNAFU..

traditionalguy म्हणाले...

In olden times we selected men of means who had already earned all the money they needed and being in their 60s faced soon coming death and the Judgement of God. Especially we selected retired lawyers as our Judges.

But after antibiotics extended life spans into the late 80s and the god of greed for power from wealth soared, it’s all becoming SNAFU..

Robert Cook म्हणाले...

"Mindless cynicism. Not a good way to look at the world."

Closer to a knowing acquaintance with reality, not meant to be taken literally or applied always or universally. (Just in most cases most of the time.)

Oligonicella म्हणाले...

Why is that famous? It's not even intellectual really, simply taking a statement and applying a negation. Comedians do it all the time.

The only reason is some 'news' person reported it as witty.

Wa St Blogger म्हणाले...

Utah Phillips method could work..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trQW-1TnjSY

But I am with Gore in once sense. Those who crave power are the ones you should least be willing to cede it to.

Maynard म्हणाले...

It was not until this thread that I recalled who Cookie reminded me of.

It was not William F. Buckley.

Old and slow म्हणाले...

I'm with Cook 100% in his assessment of both Jerry Lewis and the other comments.

The Godfather म्हणाले...

To me, the most persuasive sign that a candidate is NOT suited for high office is that he declares that his nomination is sufficient to stop the rise of the oceans.

Joe Smith म्हणाले...

Vidal was an insufferable snob.

wild chicken म्हणाले...

Trouble is, an ambivalent candidate would not have the fortitude for these long nasty campaigns.

Vidal knew that. He himself wilted under the pressure of his own half-assed efforts in NY.

Gotta go in whole-assed.