…AND THE LIGHT OF A REVEALING ROLE MODEL:
John F. Kennedy was correct about life and politics when he famously said, “Life isn’t fair.” Not only is politics unfair, it may be the least fair part of life. In many election years, if we had blue-ribbon selection panels charged with considering only the qualifications and likely performance of potential presidents, governors, and senators, the list of winners would likely be quite different from the ones actually elected by the voters. But that’s not the way democracy works, and people learn to live with their mistakes–and maybe even learn not to repeat the same mistakes. Part of politics’ unfairness is also the constant criticism that cascades down upon each candidate from every conceivable direction. Yet the critics are often wrong.