Wednesday, October 29, 2008

In Defense Of Elitism

TW: Tucker Carlson has bounced around, I always liked him relatively speaking but he never has seemed to find a niche (conservative but not quite enough for the conservatives). I think he could do a middle of the road show effectively but the market for those is limited. Regardless he takes on the anti-elitism theme, albeit in his usual cynical manner, that has emerged in spades this cycle.

From Carlson/Daily Beast:
"...it would be nice if we stopped pretending that anyone can run the government. Anyone can't, as successive administrations have learned the hard way...Clinton and his brilliant young reformers had stepped in it. Just four months into his first term, Clinton acknowledged defeat and hired—of all people—David Gergen, who was not simply a longtime advisor to the other party, but the living embodiment of inside-the-Beltway thinking, a man whose every word is 200-proof distilled Georgetown cocktail party conversation. True believers attacked the hire as cynical and desperate. Washingtonians recognized it as the moment Clinton started to become politically effective.

Bush, unfortunately, was slower to catch on...Bush and the group of mediocre Texans around him had alienated virtually everyone in Washington,including potential friends...

A wise president would break the cycle, soliciting help on day one from seasoned Beltway hacks, influence peddlers and various other corrupt local fixtures who pollute this temple of democracy—in other words, from people who actually know how the system works. In order to do this, however, you'd have to admit that governing requires more than good will and authenticity. Good luck with that...Elitism may be annoying, but the mob is dangerous."
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2008-10-28/in-defense-of-elitism/

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