Is Barack Obama's dream, now a reality

[putnam6]

Politicians are just "for the show."  There are a special class of thespian. (It's all about "appearances" that "sell.")
Most of the great ones were great because they could think on their own.

But that is no longer why parties 'select' candidates.  They select "marketable imagery."

This is not specific to Democrat politicians... it applies to Republicans as well.

I remember similar lamentations about the second "Bush" era.
It comes with the terrain of 'legacy thinking."

Exactly but if I could turn back time, I would not waste it discussing the crookedness and graft of the Cheney administration.

I remember when those with a conspiratorial leaning mostly knew both sides were equally "sneaky" little shits they just had different methods and tactics, hell it was preached quite a bit on ATS and elsewhere. Then there was a shift, and it became en-vogue to denigrate conspiracy theorists, especially from one side.