Realpolitik rebound.
As many of you know, I am writing solely about politics and government for the foreseeable future. Some days, I will talk about candidates (like Jeb “Jed” Bush), other days I will address issues, and most days, I will write about whatever I want and make a clear-in-my-mind connection to politics in order to keep my vow. My vow to you, the people, to stick to a diet of strictly politics and election opinions, as there is a deathly dearth of those currently.
Five-year old boy taking a break from basketballing to look for bugs or skinks on front porch.
So sorry…quick non-political sidebar
The sporting life.
I arrived home yesterday and my son raced up:
Guess what?!
What?
I asked.
I was playing basketball...
he panted.
...and I shot a basket!
Sweet.
I said.
You made a basket?
No!
he explained.
I didn't make a basket, but the ball hit the basket!
Recap : ball hits basket.
Excellent.
I said.
And it almost went in?
Yes, it is awesome.
No!
he breathed hard, and finally catched his breaths.
It didn't! But the ball touched the hoop! Isn't that awesome?!
Sure.
I said.
And high-fived an appropriate level of moderate enthusiasm.
He hit the backboard.
This anecdote nicely illustrates three of my favourite political truths.
The three are obvious. Just re-read until you get it.
If you don’t, here you go, ex post facto:
Enthusiastically celebrate your successes, as illustrated well by the Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy (within the realm of logic and reasoning). In other words, you shoot at a barn wall with a gun (or you shoot at a basket with a ball) and you draw a circle around the bullet holes (or where the ball hits) after you’ve shot. This way, you can confirm the fact that you were right from the beginning. You will literally never lose anything this way. Politicians are very good at this.
Tell a good story. No matter how big or small, no matter or exciting or unexciting, understand that the narrative you tell about your life or your accomplishments (such as shooting a basketball) is judged, for the most part, by your enthusiasm in telling it, and by finding the right parts to focus on, without too many blatant inaccuracies.
Engage. If a tree falls in the forest, if an incredible basket is made, if a candidate does something incredible but nobody witnesses or knows about it…it didn’t happen, in terms of successful biography-building. Engage in dialogue with others.
Maybe it’s a reach. Maybe this kid should run for office some day. His reasoning abilities and quality of asked questions trumps every candidate I see so far on the possible list.
