Tragedy of the Commons

Volume II, Issue # 46- November 18-24, 2011

International Tribune

Simple common sense seems to be sadly missing in the GOP politics nowadays.  I have never witnessed a string of ‘oops’ during a presidential campaign.  The entire declared Republican contenders make Dan Quayle look like a genius.  The GOP’s search for the next man to unseat Obama from the White House has never been this entertaining.  From Santorum to Bachman, Perry to Cain, the GOP declared presidential candidates are turning out to be clowns.  The circus has, indeed, arrived in town.   

Clowns are attention getters and that is why they appear comical, theatrics, and at times, loud- uttering only but non-sense when they have a chance to speak.  They will prance around on stage to entertain you as much as they can to make the audience laugh.  Sadly, this is not a far reality in the 2012 race for the GOP presidential nomination. Everyone seems to be clowning around.  You Tube has had record-breaking hits in its site from the Rick Perry and Herman Cain ‘oops’ videos.  One can see this to be funny.  However, in reality, it is frightening to think that the Republican line-up is supposed to be the crème de la crème of the Grand Old Party.  And yet the Republican Party believes that it is the right party to better lead America today. 

GOP 2012 political caricature illustration by Donkey Hotey 
from www.flickr.com/photos/donkeyhotey.

When one applies for the position of Commander-in- Chief of the most powerful nation on earth, automatically the job requires not only money and charisma but a stratospheric brain that can vigorously compete in the world stage.  Charisma maybe important but it can really just take one to a certain distance. Tons of money can provide for the campaign trails.  However, intelligence simply cannot be replaced by good looks or charm.  The presidential election is not a Miss Universe pageant.  Rick Perry may be the charmer of all the GOP candidates but his lack of knowledge of his own planned domestic policies was downright embarrassing if not alarming.   During a recent debate, Perry announced that once he becomes the President, he will immediately abolished three government agencies:  “I would do away with Commerce, Education, and what is the third one?”  A moment of very awkward silence follows.  “Oops, I can’t remember the third one,” blundered Perry.  If this does not convince anyone to end his effort, I never will discern the folly of wasting the hard-earned money of Mr. Perry's financial contributors. Perhaps this is a very valid reason why the Department of Education, in the final analysis, must not be abolished.  Some people, indeed, need further education.  

A couple of days later, another embarrassing video came out on another candidate.  While it seems like he was surviving the sexual harassments charges filed against him not by one woman but by several, what could very well be the real killer of his presidential dream is his obvious lack of knowledge in one of the most burning issues in foreign policy today – and not the pending cases against him.  It was very painful to watch Herman Cain being interviewed on the subject of Libya by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  In the video Cain was asked if he agreed with Obama's support for the rebels against Muammar Gaddafi. Cain replied: "I do not agree with the way he handled it, for the following reason." After hesitation and shifting on his chair, he said: "Uh, nope, that's, that's a different one… see, I got to go back, see. Got all this stuff twirling around in my head?" And then Cain even tried to fish out for details from the interviewer.  It was obvious that the businessman from Georgia had no clue with what is being asked of him.  Or he simply just does not have the basic knowledge of international events and what goes on beyond the confines of his beloved native Atlanta.  I wonder how many stamps he has in his passport.  

Every GOP contender seems to start their argument that they will do a much better job than President Obama.  And they parade around shaking every average Joe’s hands in their campaign trails that they are just like anyone of them.  They seem to show how they feel their grief and that they are willing to work for the common good.   And that these candidates are here to help solve their fellow Americans' woes.  The main problem is that they really have not presented any substantial plan or strategy that can bail out this nation and its citizens from the economic pains that have beset them.  Not many would disagree that America’s recession today are brought on by the last Republican president in the White House and the administrations questionable relations with certain big businesses.  How can one believe that the average American is their main priority?  It only appears this way during the campaign circus.  This is the tragedy of pretending to be the commons.