Comments on: Which politician will change your world? http://www.servingbread.net/2008/05/11/which-politician-will-change-your-world Thoughts, Musings, Reflections, and Ramblings of a campus minister, father, husband, and a Jesus-follower Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:07:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Tyler Watson http://www.servingbread.net/2008/05/11/which-politician-will-change-your-world#comment-9488 Tyler Watson Thu, 15 May 2008 19:02:09 +0000 http://www.servingbread.net/?p=538#comment-9488 I agree with much of what Stein says, but like you, I don't think he gives enough weight to electoral decisions -- an odd sentiment given his role in the Nixon administration. I'm pretty diligent about saving money, but the government does play a role in how much I am able to save (taxes) and how well my savings performs (interest rates). I like how he pushes people to see themselves as their kids' primary educators, but again, if one's child is in public schools, our elected officials have some say in the matter of what and how they learn, and in the cases of public universities, how much it costs to attend those schools. I agree that we tend to put too much stock in our elected officials for good or for ill. Bush has been either a savior making our lives better, or a bogeyman conspirator. I pine for a day that our politicians could restate Kennedy's exhortation to ask not what the country could do for us but ask what we could do for the country. I'm not sure if we've ever been a nation that doesn't see our elected officials as messiahs to some degree. I think of the sermons after Lincoln's assassination or the fact that Washington had to buck popular sentiment to not seek a third term. We're rugged individualists, but we seem to be a people that looks for someone in whom we can put our faith and when we find them, we believe in them easily. I think of the hagiographies of Reagan from the right and FDR from the left. I agree with much of what Stein says, but like you, I don’t think he gives enough weight to electoral decisions — an odd sentiment given his role in the Nixon administration. I’m pretty diligent about saving money, but the government does play a role in how much I am able to save (taxes) and how well my savings performs (interest rates). I like how he pushes people to see themselves as their kids’ primary educators, but again, if one’s child is in public schools, our elected officials have some say in the matter of what and how they learn, and in the cases of public universities, how much it costs to attend those schools.

I agree that we tend to put too much stock in our elected officials for good or for ill. Bush has been either a savior making our lives better, or a bogeyman conspirator. I pine for a day that our politicians could restate Kennedy’s exhortation to ask not what the country could do for us but ask what we could do for the country.

I’m not sure if we’ve ever been a nation that doesn’t see our elected officials as messiahs to some degree. I think of the sermons after Lincoln’s assassination or the fact that Washington had to buck popular sentiment to not seek a third term. We’re rugged individualists, but we seem to be a people that looks for someone in whom we can put our faith and when we find them, we believe in them easily. I think of the hagiographies of Reagan from the right and FDR from the left.

]]> By: Politics in America » Which politician will change your world? http://www.servingbread.net/2008/05/11/which-politician-will-change-your-world#comment-9474 Politics in America » Which politician will change your world? Mon, 12 May 2008 05:46:11 +0000 http://www.servingbread.net/?p=538#comment-9474 [...] SwampBubbles - News, Politics, Reports | You never know when something will bubble up in Toledo and ... wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt…and should accomplish.  I recognize that our leaders must inspire us to believe in them and their brand of politics, but at the end of the… [...] [...] SwampBubbles - News, Politics, Reports | You never know when something will bubble up in Toledo and … wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt…and should accomplish.  I recognize that our leaders must inspire us to believe in them and their brand of politics, but at the end of the… [...]

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