Ah yes, America! The land that I love, where we have an unfortunate tendency to admire con men and all sorts of flim flammery, even in our entertainment. I am currently preparing to be in the musical The Music Man (from WACT playing at the Ritz the first two weekends in March). The lead, Professor Harold Hill, is a gifted con man, selling band instruments and lessons without really knowing anything about music. As is the nature of theatre and storytelling, Hill falls in love and learns to mellow, but in a way, the story still romanticizes and admires his con artist skills.
My own character, Mayor Shinn, despises Hill, but that is in large part because he is a con artist as well, although of lesser stature and ability, who has made money off his position and control of the town and it's businesses. I think he really resents Hill "horning in" on his territory.
This is just one example of this. The con artist may be the most dominant theme in American literature and entertainment.
Which brings me to -
The Greatest Con Artist of Our Time!!!
Yep! That's Donald Trump! He'll say anything and do anything to be President! AND while he's doing it, he'll make you think he's being "honest" and "politically incorrect", when he's really just your crazy Uncle with super charged Tourette's syndrome!
It's like P. T. Barnum come to life, and an unpleasantly large swath of the American public are buying it! But it's P. T. Barnum with a nasty undertone of fascism.
The Second Greatest Con Man of Our Time!
Yes, Ted Cruz. What a horrible human being. Don't believe me? Ask Ben Carson or Bob Dole or John McCain or Mitch McConnell or his college roommate.
But somehow this Ivy League educated, Wall Street/Goldman Sachs connected snob is making inroads with the group that his selfish politics actually makes him furthest from - so-called Christian voters.
How does he do that? Because he is a con artist! He'll do anything to get into power, without morals or qualms.
TRavelling the Slippery Slope to Con Artistry
Do I think Hillary can be sincere and pragmatic? Yes. Do I think she has potential to be a good President? Yes. Do I think she slips into con artistry, and shifting her position to advantage her at any particular moment? Unfortunately, yes.
The Clintons may be great leaders and politicians, but they are used to playing the game under the old rules. Sometimes they try to be too crafty for their own good.
So, yes, Hillary has a con artist streak. Unlike Bill, she is not particularly good at it. She would be better served by speaking from the heart, and keeping her approach consistent.
The Lesser Cons
Although I don't like Jeb Bush's policies, I think he has large stretches of utter sincerity. and tries to be himself, probably too much, because the American people aren't really enamored with him (of course, it doesn't help that his brother was arguably the worst President in American History).
John Kasich is probably the most sincerely religious of the Republicans running, but he is also not completely who he pretends to be. He made his fortune on Wall Street, and is very much their friend - although you may not hear that much on the campaign trail.
Mario Rubio hides his thin resume and lack of intellect with blustery speeches that sound purty - until you hear him robotically repeat them. He is clearly The Stepford Candidate.
Ben Carson seems sincere, until you realize his autobiography is exaggerated fiction, served up to sound like exciting Christian testimony.
The Anti-Con
It is exciting to me to no end to see a man so sincere and honest do so well in the early contests. I mean, look at him. He doesn't even comb his hair or bleach his teeth.
From your political perspective, you may think of his proposals as costly, impossible dreams. Many economists and others who have looked at his proposals would disagree. We can't have them because our political system is broken, and it won't allow them.
Why?
Because we keep electing CON MEN!
Let's do the right thing. Let's break with that worthless lunacy. Let's reverse the shrinkage of the middle class that is setting us at each other's throats.
Feel the Anti-Con!
Feel the Bern!
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