CITIZENSHIP IN A REPUBLIC

 This is the whole of the thing that matters today:

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

—Theodore Roosevelt
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

I think that deserves some thoughtful consideration as we contemplate the caliber of the Citizens in this State who are standing up not just for public office but for the very highest office in the land. If you watch this clip then ask yourself, where are the Citizens of the State that you would find equal to the task they are seeking to take on? Why aren't those people running for Senator? Do such even exist?

 I have to admit, the Senate never impressed me very much since it was largely a body of tools and scum but I always had the sense that there were some people there who would belong in a really important branch of our government who had the skills, education, background, gumption and integrity to make this the best possible country for its citizens. Not the best in the world, just a nice place where Americans could be born, educated, work, live, raise a family, aspire and leave their families and their country better off when they moved on.

I'm afraid CSPAN dashed my hopes for that pretty thoroughly although I suppose if I was a stupid moron I wouldn't mind having so many stupid morons running and working in the Senate. All I can say about these four candidates for Maine is that I am sure that the Machine cannot wait to get their hooks into them and have them toe the line for the rest of their lives.  And yes, they amaze me.