Not a Reader, Not a Leader
Boy, was I wrong about Herman Cain; and I am extremely upset about it. I was so enthused when he first hit the news media. Here was an unconventional, energetic non-politician come up from humble beginnings (his parents were a domestic and a farmer turned barber), earned himself a Bachelor's in mathematics and a Master's in computer science and went on to become a successful, wealthy businessman. It was a breath of fresh air coming after seasoned politicians, same-old-same-old. It was a hope that the "American Dream" was still alive--that a person of poor beginnings could achieve academic and career success, and still be a "mench."
And then, accusations of sexual misconduct towards females in the workplace, from the time when Cain was president of the Restaurant Association--accusations which he fielded very badly, at first denying any knowledge of the accusers or of the incidents, claiming the allegations were lies. It was disclosed that the accusers were paid a significant sum of money as a settlement, and Cain knew nothing about it--but then, 'seemed to recall something.' This sort of response does little to build trust in anyone, let alone a candidate for president.
Now he has implied (if not stated outright), after a very embarrassing interview where he demonstrated a seeming lack of knowledge of foreign affairs, that he is not a 'reader' but a 'leader,' a statement he made at a campaign event in New Hampshire. He quipped that he would veto any bill that was longer than three pages, because nobody would be able to read nor understand them if they were. And we just read in October about our third graders who are failing basic reading standards.
With this disdain for intellect, how did he manage to achieve a Bachelors in mathematics and a Masters in computer science? Hard to believe, or understand. This is what our universities are turning out?
Is this our future? Our children can't read, and our candidate for president denigrates intellect? And we wonder why we are losing our industrial greatness and academic edge in the global community. It is a sad, sad day for America.
My vote? Not a reader, not a leader.
And then, accusations of sexual misconduct towards females in the workplace, from the time when Cain was president of the Restaurant Association--accusations which he fielded very badly, at first denying any knowledge of the accusers or of the incidents, claiming the allegations were lies. It was disclosed that the accusers were paid a significant sum of money as a settlement, and Cain knew nothing about it--but then, 'seemed to recall something.' This sort of response does little to build trust in anyone, let alone a candidate for president.
Now he has implied (if not stated outright), after a very embarrassing interview where he demonstrated a seeming lack of knowledge of foreign affairs, that he is not a 'reader' but a 'leader,' a statement he made at a campaign event in New Hampshire. He quipped that he would veto any bill that was longer than three pages, because nobody would be able to read nor understand them if they were. And we just read in October about our third graders who are failing basic reading standards.
With this disdain for intellect, how did he manage to achieve a Bachelors in mathematics and a Masters in computer science? Hard to believe, or understand. This is what our universities are turning out?
Is this our future? Our children can't read, and our candidate for president denigrates intellect? And we wonder why we are losing our industrial greatness and academic edge in the global community. It is a sad, sad day for America.
My vote? Not a reader, not a leader.
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