When did we as Americans come to accept mediocrity in our political candidates? When I look at the four men currently vying for the Republican presidential nomination, I can’t help but wonder, are these the brightest and best our country has to offer?
I have no doubt that any one of these candidates would be a marked improvement over the current occupant of the White House. But when did we start to lower the standard from best to merely better? When did we begin to resign ourselves to the notion that great leaders like Jefferson, Lincoln, and Reagan only come along once a century?
Unfortunately, this settling also occurs in our local elections here in Fayette County.
In anticipation of the upcoming County Commission election, Harold Bost has coined the rousing phrase “Clear the Shelves in 2012.” It is hoped that such a slogan will energize the electorate to vote to eradicate the cancer that currently sits on the commission.
That is a necessary first step. However, is anyone truly inspired or excited by those that have already announced their candidacies?
While these candidates would certainly be an improvement over the incumbents they seek to unseat, how could they not be? After all, in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king.
But why don’t we demand that our political leaders have a vision for our county to make it not merely better, but the best that it can be?
If we continue to settle for mediocrity or merely “better,” we will surely repeat the mistakes of the past and once again be forced to restock the shelves. Please, Mr. Bost, don’t throw away your signs.
Scott Fabricius
Fayetteville, Ga.
