I am having difficulty with the current presidential campaign understanding how our political system reveres the stupid.
It’s simply stupid to believe that Palin is the “best” candidate the republican party could find for Vice President. She’s clueless, and unqualified. Her lack of qualification is manifest in her intellectual achievements (see her academic record, also review McCain’s); lack of national experience and basic knowledge of the world; skepticism regarding science and scientific method; performance in interviews after her selection; and in her loudly stated view that a African American son of a single mother who through the strength of his intellect became a highly respected lawyer and community organizer is one of the “elite.” It’s as if being smart is a problem. She simply makes no sense. Yet she is the best the republican party can do. Her choice and views are prime manifestations of stupidism in this campaign.
The presidential candidate for that party has proposed an elaborate shell game that is his health care policy. It will eliminate health insurance as we know it and move most of us to the expensive individual health insurance market. Many will not be accepted for insurance or charged outrageous premiums because of all things they are sick and need their health insurance. Nothing like a policy that works to eliminate coverage for those who need it most.
In regard to healthcare the question is who is more stupid. Those who propose a flawed bizarre policy or those who will seek temporary personal advantage in such a policy–by not having coverage or by buying cheap policies that don’t provide comprehensive coverage. I say temporary because we all will have illness at some point. When that happens these guys will have inadequate or no coverage and be unable to afford their treatment. At that point they may try and upgrade their health insurance policy and as noted above will be flushed out of the private insurance system. Not understanding the implications of segregating risk in health insurance and voting for a candidate who proposes such a policy is also a manifestation of stupidism.
With the economy tanking, the repubicans sell the notion that up is down and down is up. McCain a long term and recent proponent of deregulation now claims he has always been for regulation of financial markets; Palin wonders how a Democrat can propose cutting the military budget in a time or war, while McCain has stated he knows of waste and mismanagement at the Pentagon and can easily cut their budget. For these people, support of a stupid war is patriotic but paying for it with taxes isn’t. What isn’t stupid about this campaign?
Consider this election a ballot initiative on stupidism.
Medicynic 