political people of the people

I just read an article about Hillary Clinton and her money that frustrated me because neither of the quoted team opinions got the issue right. The various facts are that the Clintons didn't start off super-rich, and that they now are, and that they entered the White House after a long period of government service and law practice, and that they didn't have much in savings or investments, and that from November of 92 on it was certain that they'd eventually make millions from book deals and speaking engagements, and that they had tons of legal fees and didn't actually own a house, and on and on — a goulash of extremes that typifies many people's experiences in today's public life. Those extremes in no way typify my life or, probably, yours, but then we're ordinary.

I hate these attempts to seem "ordinary" by emphasizing money problems — just as I hate the modern attempts to smear candidates for not being "ordinary."

There was a time when we wanted our politicians to be people at the top of their game. Rich lawyers are in fact what we need in government. Law is the language of all three branches of government, and expert lawyers make lots of money, in government or out of it.

We should be proud of the country that produced the Bush family, a generations-long dynasty of super-rich people who have a family ethic of public service; and that produced the Clintons, born into middle-class and lower-class obscurity but with hard work and drive made it to the the top. People on Team Red and Team Blue have a great time deriding one or the other — and often switching opinions to fit team jersey as candidates (humble-origin Nixon and Reagan, landed gentry Carter, poor-smart-kid Obama, patrician Bushes, married-into-money McCain and Kerry) come in and out — but that derision only hurts us, I think.

It would be great to get rid of the corruption and collusion that so damages our commonwealth, and it would be great to get rid of opportunistic politicians who go through phony put-on antics every election season. But it would also be great for us, the voters, to be big enough to get past team jersey and be thrilled that America has produced such a variety of success stories.