I have not “researched” the quote, it came my way in email, and I reposted it because I think that its central thesis — that running for national office tends to encourage a kind of populism that does not result in thoughtfulness — is one I agree with.

Four years ago I was rooting for Ralph Nader — basically saying that in the choice between Gush and Bore, that neither man was a man I felt I could be proud of as President, both of them telling people what their polls and focus-groups wanted them to say. Whereas Nader was a man with a real vision, and I was proud to vote for him.

And I’ve been nothing but respectful toward Bush on this blog and in my public statements. It’s also true that he has a history of dissembling and misleading the public and that I disagree forcefully with his policies.

The Mencken quote came my way, and it made me think, and also made me chuckle at perhaps how prescient it was. Is Bush a moron? Well, I can’t say — having seen speeches of him from his days running for Governor of Texas, he seemed to have been a man with quite a good head on his shoulders, and a definite vision for how to do things, if not having the answers on specifics and details. The man I see now seems to have drifted toward incoherence. My impression of the man is that something has changed — perhaps it’s the stress of the job or something else — but I don’t have confidence in the man. That’s why I voted against him.

The Mencken quote made me think of President Clinton, a man whose philandering and lying made him an embarassment to the office. Again, a man with good “core values” — but did he really follow through on them? A case could be made that Clinton was good at saying what people wanted to hear, and personifies the Mencken quote, perhaps even better than Bush does.

I’m troubled that we don’t seem to get thoughtful men of principle in the White House, what we get are people who cultivate constituencies with a charisma based in our worst qualities, rather than our best.

Tom, I know you’re a long-time reader, and I value your opinion; but please don’t presume to know the complexities of my heart based on a link I put up, or a quote I put up. I’m actually much more interesting than even this elaborate website can convey. Perhaps that’s the failing of this site. Heh.

Bon chance.