No Game

Atlanta, GA – The field of candidates for the Republican Candidacy is shaping up nicely. This guy and that woman are taking to the talk shows to remind Americans of their time in office/service, whatever, and to tell everyone how great their record is. (Because nobody would know how great it was if they didn’t.)

The Bushes are returning, (imagine the headlines we could make from that) Clan Romney may be making a comeback, (or from that) Dr. Carson would like to be Dr. President, and even Paul Ryan, the man who lost with Romney in 2012 may be thinking of a return to the limelight.

The papers are full of headlines such Romney Ready to Rumble? Speaking about how this man or that might steal the nomination, where they might find the money, and what sort of appeal they have.

But sometimes, oftentimes, perhaps, something is lost in all of this. The race is very much based on the men and women who are in it. But this is not a race to win the nomination or even the presidency. It is, (or at least should be) a race about who is the best man of woman to lead America for the four years after Obama gives up the reins.

We are not looking for a savior. History has had plenty of people who said they were one of those and they all turned out to look more like the devil once we got the mask off.

We are not looking for someone who was born with magic powers who can wave a wand and fix it all. That is not what this is all about.

The job description of the office of the president is simple. An imperfect human is wanted to come and lead the greatest country ever conceived. We are not expecting them never to slip up, but rather we expect them to get up when they do. We do not expect them never to make a bad decision, but we do expect them to make a decision nonetheless, and if they make the wrong one, to admit it. We are looking for wisdom, not immortality.

I do not know which of the candidates have these qualities, maybe more than one, maybe none, it is still far too early to tell. But what we can say at this early stage is this: politics can be fun-some people watch it like entertainment- but it is no game. These numbers and percentages are actual people. Their lives and livelihoods depend in real ways on the decisions made.

And as we talk about can this person beat that one, will we have our first ever Madam President, or not, let’s not forget, this is not just a complicated game of chess, it is real life. If we get it wrong, everybody loses. If we get it bad wrong, everybody dies.

Andrew C. Abbott