Non-insane politicians
 

I've started making a list of reasonable politicians that I hear of. Here's two

Evan McMullin - interesting conservative - http://www.slate.com/articles/podcas...l_gabfest.html

Jason Kander - interesting democrat - http://www.slate.com/articles/podcas...e_mueller.html

Add to the list if you hear a politician speak and think they may have something on the ball. Point to a podcast etc. if you have it.

Ain't that one of them there oxymorons? :haha:

Gavin Newsom is running for governor in CA, and barring some huge scandal that takes him out completely, my money is on him being a presidential candidate in the next 20 years.

He's a democrat who is fairly hawkish on foreign policy and supports charter schools, plus is a proponent of "Third Way" centrism. First impressed me when, as mayor of San Francisco in 2004, he decided to just start issuing same-sex marriage licenses because it was the right thing to do, and told the rest of the state to come fight him on it if they wanted to. Sure, he was in San Francisco, but to me it was a powerful act of civil disobedience, and kickstarted us toward nationwide legality.

A sample podcast with Adam Carolla (ignore the clickbaity video title--it's an interesting discussion and Adam doesn't throw softballs, but no one is "destroyed"...)

Does he call himself "Third Way"? That may turn out to be a branding issue. The Clintons turned that into a money talks, corporations before people agenda that won't play in an age of populism. If a moderate got through one of the major party primaries he could win but either primary would be difficult unless he adopted something like national healthcare.

On the Republican side Ben Sasse strikes me as not insane, but his preferred policies are pretty archaic.

Yeah, I go back and forth on Ben Sasse. He talks a good game, but then I hate everything he votes for. Newsom might end up just the same.

That's when you know they're truly crazy.;)

Literally? Yes.

But let's remember that most things are a shade of gray. There's a whole range of politicians out there and I'd like to see our next president be someone with a firmer grasp on reality, reason, and truth.

If only the most popular politician in America was completely scandal-free, had unimpeachable integrity, a 40-year track record of unchanging, reason-based positions on a wide array of issues that a majority of Americans, from all across the political spectrum, overwhelmingly agree with, and wielded histrionically enthusiastic support from the largest voting bloc in the country, all without being beholden to the two-party system that we all agree is broken. If someone like that existed, I'm sure we could devise some bizarre rationale to consider them unelectable.

No, we assassinate those.:neutral:

Even if we don't shoot them the character assassination takes them down...

Not a politician but I'm wondering if or how the attempted take-down of Mueller will go. USMC, bronze star, career public servant...

Bernie has bad hair.

His problem for his whole career has been that he burns bridges. Maybe that's fine now, as there are no more compromises allowed in Congress, and this is his time.

"His problem for his whole career has been that he burns bridges.
 

Hell, I thought his problem was that he was a commie.

In today's America, however, I guess that's a plus.

Henry, your problem is you don't know the difference between a socialist and a commie. The difference is huge.