Comments on: Appealing to the Common Man http://www.thefighting44s.com/archives/2008/05/07/appealing-to-the-common-man/ Uniting the Asian Conscience Fri, 29 Aug 2008 06:20:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: The Fighting 44s » Blog Archive » Telling the People http://www.thefighting44s.com/archives/2008/05/07/appealing-to-the-common-man/#comment-5987 The Fighting 44s » Blog Archive » Telling the People Thu, 08 May 2008 04:01:53 +0000 http://www.thefighting44s.com/archives/2008/05/07/appealing-to-the-common-man/#comment-5987 [...] writes about politicians being straight with the people.  It’s tangentially related to my last post.  For a long time now, Friedman has been talking about raising the gas tax in order to encourage [...] […] writes about politicians being straight with the people.  It’s tangentially related to my last post.  For a long time now, Friedman has been talking about raising the gas tax in order to encourage […]

]]> By: jaehwan http://www.thefighting44s.com/archives/2008/05/07/appealing-to-the-common-man/#comment-5986 jaehwan Thu, 08 May 2008 03:37:31 +0000 http://www.thefighting44s.com/archives/2008/05/07/appealing-to-the-common-man/#comment-5986 nycjoc, Thanks for your comment! I agree with you 100%. If you haven't already, check out the old speeches of JFK. Compared with what passes as politicking today, it's like night and day in terms of the intellectualism. nycjoc,

Thanks for your comment! I agree with you 100%.

If you haven’t already, check out the old speeches of JFK. Compared with what passes as politicking today, it’s like night and day in terms of the intellectualism.

]]> By: nycjoc http://www.thefighting44s.com/archives/2008/05/07/appealing-to-the-common-man/#comment-5983 nycjoc Wed, 07 May 2008 19:06:54 +0000 http://www.thefighting44s.com/archives/2008/05/07/appealing-to-the-common-man/#comment-5983 Personally, I can't stand the "common man" myth because a lot of the time it reeks of anti-intellectualism. I understand that you have to tailor your speech to the group but this need to pretend that your into something your not is just getting stupid. It's one thing when out campaigning to be jovial and respectful when asking for votes, it's another to try and claim that your just one of the guys when you aren't and then proceed to clown others but saying they are elitist for not pretend to be just one of the guys. It's what allowed Bush to get a pass for all his failures in school and business which in turn translated nationally in a spiraling nightmare for this country. Everyone thought he was so cool, someone you could have a drink with, and joke with and that's what they got in the White House. The country got an overgrown frat boy pretending to be "common" with a cowboy complex. It is also an insult to "common" people. It assumes that they care more about whether you're bowling average is as good as your ability to drink someone under the table. Most working class people I know could care less about that crap because it doesn't put food on the table. I think the people that do care about it are people (and I may sound elitist), who are insecure with their own place in society and don't want anyone in the White House that might be perceived as better than them. I guess that's why in many respects I get so annoyed during election time. Rather than trying to determine who has shaped their mind to do one of the toughest jobs in the world, some people (rich and poor) tend to overlook or just plain disrespect the academic and work place achievements and skills of an individual. Instead we end up focusing on issues that are of little consequence and gleefully shout about how such and so is the one president I can have a beer with and the other is just a nerd, how boring. Sorry about the rant. Personally, I can’t stand the “common man” myth because a lot of the time it reeks of anti-intellectualism. I understand that you have to tailor your speech to the group but this need to pretend that your into something your not is just getting stupid. It’s one thing when out campaigning to be jovial and respectful when asking for votes, it’s another to try and claim that your just one of the guys when you aren’t and then proceed to clown others but saying they are elitist for not pretend to be just one of the guys. It’s what allowed Bush to get a pass for all his failures in school and business which in turn translated nationally in a spiraling nightmare for this country. Everyone thought he was so cool, someone you could have a drink with, and joke with and that’s what they got in the White House. The country got an overgrown frat boy pretending to be “common” with a cowboy complex.

It is also an insult to “common” people. It assumes that they care more about whether you’re bowling average is as good as your ability to drink someone under the table. Most working class people I know could care less about that crap because it doesn’t put food on the table. I think the people that do care about it are people (and I may sound elitist), who are insecure with their own place in society and don’t want anyone in the White House that might be perceived as better than them.

I guess that’s why in many respects I get so annoyed during election time. Rather than trying to determine who has shaped their mind to do one of the toughest jobs in the world, some people (rich and poor) tend to overlook or just plain disrespect the academic and work place achievements and skills of an individual. Instead we end up focusing on issues that are of little consequence and gleefully shout about how such and so is the one president I can have a beer with and the other is just a nerd, how boring.

Sorry about the rant.

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