Tuesday, July 21, 2015

KPC Guide to the 2016 Prez Race: Elect-ageddon!

Rather than give actual information about candidates, which would violate our basic tenet ("Don't vote, it just encourages the bastards!"), I want to propose a fieldwork version of the "Grand Game."

The Grand Game is where you read a linked article, or piece in the media, and compete to find the most absurd quote, or compete to ask the most devastating question.  It's...well...Grand!

So, readers, go out into the world and observe the behavior (mating and otherwise) of the wild creatures called candidates, and report back.  My email is mcmunger (at) gmail [dot] com.  Just send in your entries.

And here is the judging criteria, from the incomparable H.L. Mencken.  Find the words and actions of candidates that best embody the wisdom of this quote:

The state — or, to make matters more concrete, the government — consists of a gang of men exactly like you and me. They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the business of government; they have only a talent for getting and holding office. Their principal device to that end is to search out groups who pant and pine for something they can’t get, and to promise to give it to them. Nine times out of ten that promise is worth nothing. The tenth time it is made good by looting ‘A’ to satisfy ‘B’. In other words, government is a broker in pillage, and every election is a sort of advanced auction on stolen goods. (Notes on Democracy, 1926).
 It was "men" in his time, of course, but Ms. Pelosi and Ms. Clinton are better men--in the above sense--than most men in Mencken's time.

Of course, Mencken also said that "Democracy....is the worship of jackals by jack asses."  That'll get 'er done, too.

Go forth, readers, and report back!  I'll post everything you find for the next 15 months, until "Elect-ageddon 2016!"

(Lagniappe:  Hilariously, Sheldon had the same "voter guide" thought, and used the same Mencken quote.  It's a MOVEMENT, people!)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't think this qualifies, but up here in Boston there are few news stations referring to the 2016 election as "Commitment 2016"


https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=%22commitment%202016%22


I will witness nothing dumber during this election.


I will unfortunately see it many many many times.


LH said...

Might it also be worthwhile to collect exhibits for another fine Mencken quote?

"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary."