...it's time for these old geezers to be shipped off, in H.L. Mencken's words, to "some home for extinct volcanoes". "Mitch McConnell Freezes Mid-Sentence During Press Conference, Appears Very Unwell".
These guys just cannot relinquish power. It's like heroin for politicians.
I've seen this tendency in other areas, where a senior member (as in, is pretty damned old) of an organization hangs on even when it's obvious they are sliding downhill. It isn't limited to politics.
ReplyDeleteAging does that to a person, I don't care how well they take care of themselves.
Either the person in question loves being in power (one might say, addicted), they really don't have a life, or they truly believe they know what's best for the group.
Or some combination of the above. Especially when they really begin to fall apart.
In any case, it's destructive in the long run. ESPECIALLY for politicians, who often have strap hangers with personal agendas.
Yay us.
It is debatable whether some degree of narcissism is required to enter politics. Certain a large degree of self confidence is.
ReplyDeleteHowever I don't believe one can make a career of it without being narcissistic. Much like journalists or actors, these people tend to conflate the importance (or at least merit) of their work with their own sense of self. The longer they remain at the job, the more their personal identity is subsumed by it. These people think they will literally disappear if they step down.
Apparently the Murder Turtle has also has a series of falls, which is always a harbinger of worse things to come in the elderly. I don't think he'll step down. I think he's going to do the toes-up retirement, which is probably true of certain other politicians I could name.
ReplyDeleteVery well put, Stephen.
ReplyDeleteJeff: I've seen the same thing in non-political situations, as well. Sometimes, sadly, it's not just ego-driven, but due to a fear of giving up a job, or work relationships, that one has enjoyed for decades.
Rebecca: I hope he steps down before he falls down and really hurts himself.
The common thing about Australian politicians that amazes me; is that when they hold a press conference to announce that they are standing down to "spend more time with their families" they almost always burst into tears.
ReplyDeleteIt's as if the idiots think we give a toss about the lying backstabbing arseholes.
Mick: Yeah, you'd think the prospect of actually spending time with their families is horrifying to them (maybe it is; who knows just how dysfunctional a politician's private life might be).
ReplyDeleteA politicians wife may be a looker, but she may also be a controller. Her looks are the fascade behind which the devil resides.
DeleteI heard Mitch had another fall today. Is there a competition between him and Biden. Elsewhere on The Hill, Feinstein had a bad day. She froze up during a old call vote, and a staffer told her, "Just say "yeah".
ReplyDeleteOops. Spellchecker did it again. The last line should have been "...roll call vote....".
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