Rusted Sky

One of the things I've noticed in our 'ruling class' is the sense of entitlement that seems prevalent on the Democratic side. (There's less of it on the Republican side, but it's not absent.) Let's face it - you've got to be nuts to go through the ordeal of running for the office - and you've got to be very focused to start at the bare beginning in politics and work your way up through the crowd to a point where you've got a serious shot at the office.

Of course, there's some things that help - like being married to an ex-President, or having pretty much nothing going for you but your skin color and a charismatic performing ability. (Which, oddly enough, is about how I think of the two running on the Democratic side.) And it doesn't hurt to have a 'moral claim' to the office.

RealClearPolitics - HorseRaceBlog - Clinton's "Moral Claim"

Sunday's Meet the Press featured a spirited debate between James Carville, Mary Matalin, Mike Murphy, and Bob Shrum. Shrum made a very insightful point, noting that Hillary Clinton has to find some kind of "moral claim" to the nomination if she hopes to take it from Barack Obama.

This is a concise version of an argument I made last week - that Clinton needs to assert that she is the "legitimate" candidate of her party. I particularly like the use of the word "claim" because it underscores how legitimacy is contestable. Both she and Obama will make claims to the nomination, which the super delegates will arbitrate.

But just what does a 'moral claim' mean? In Hillary's case - she's been planning and working toward this for literally decades. From her behavior early in Bill's administration, it was VERY clear that she considered herself President in all but name - and was going to run things as SHE thought was right. Bill was there to just kind of provide window dressing and handle stuff she wasn't worried about - like foriegn policy, defense questions, Kosovo and so on.

But that kind of got knocked out of her after the Hillary Health-Care debacle. Since then, she's been working to get into the Presidency... because she wants that title. NOBODY will question her then, and she knows it.

As I said - you've got to be nuts. I found this...

Blissful Knowledge: WHAT DO PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES, BASEBALL PLAYERS WHO TAKE STEROIDS, AND AMY WINEHOUSE HAVE IN COMMON? Archives#000736

And I know the candidates have no choice, regardless of whether they are smarter than the drivel they spout. From what I've recently read and heard, the one candidate in this election cycle with whom I might have been more impressed if I'd been paying closer attention, rather than less, was Fred Thompson. (Which is not to say that I would've voted for him.) And it was not coincidental that Thompson's candidacy never caught enough fire to flame out. As expertly detailed by Andrew Ferguson, the modern presidential campaign requires a level of both substantive pandering and personal exertion as to screen out virtually any normal human being. I think we should replace the "anyone can grow up to be President" mantra with "Mom, don't let your kids grow up to be a Presidential candidate." (This may be an underrated factor in the increase of political dynasties - they're the only ones who think of the lifestyle as normal.)

You raise and spend hundreds of millions of dollars to get into a job that pays $200k/year. Yeah, there's some serious perqs, and serious responsibilities as well. That's... a not terrifically sane thing to do.

As I said, you've got to be nuts. Or feel like it's your RIGHT to be President, and by Ghu, you're gonna get it or die (politically) trying.

J.