Dynasty: Two Georges, a Billary and the Alleged Need for Change

I have assumed for a while now that when it came time to vote, Americans would go for the pretty boys. John Edwards and Mitt Romney both have lovely heads of hair, look good and smile just so for the camera. (During last Monday's Democratic debate, I likened Edwards' smile to the Cheshire Cat, a lot of teeth with ever fading substance behind it, but my wife pointed that none of the candidates have a lot of substance.)

But America, you're surprising me. Edwards has been coming in third place in Democratic primaries, behind the first woman with a viable chance to be elected president and the first black with a viable chance. The Republicans seem to be leaning towards the maverick of their party, John McCain.

What's really surprising though is that, despite what the media says about the American public's desire for "change," Americans seem to be continuing a trend that has been ongoing since 1980. Every presidential election since then has seen someone named Bush or Clinton, Yale graduates all, running as a candidate for either the presidency or the vice-presidency. Even backing the independent thinking McCain, someone who has been around for quite a while and first ran for president in 2000, shows a lack of desire to break with the past.

What America needs is a rupture of our bondage to a continually shrinking pool of presidential candidates who all seem to share more or less the seem views, a pool we seem to insist on shrinking ourselves with our lack of interest in supporting people with ideas outside the mainstream. Barack Obama is an old school politician in a lot of ways, with ties to nefarious characters like the indicted Antoin Rezko, but at least, being younger than any other candidate, he may bring a slightly different perspective than someone like Hilary Clinton. America would do best to think Obama if they really want change, or think Ron Paul, or...just...think...

On a related topic, Maureen Dowd of the New York Times, writes of the tag-teaming of Obama by Billary.

Also in the New York Times, Gary Wills has a strong article about the dangers of a plural presidency.