Where are the Political "Geniuses"?

We all know Mozart, the musical genius who established the standard by which nearly all other so-called geniuses are stood against. His brilliance in music is incontestable; even the casual listener can appreciate the brilliance of his compositions.

We all know Einstein, the genius of math and theoretical physics. Again, we have another incontestable genius who can be recognized by nearly everyone. There is not the slightest doubt that Einstein could do math and physics and he could do them very well.

We all know Shakespeare, the literary genius who transformed the written word. A single stanza from any of his sonnets will stand out among the millions of other poems ever written before or since.

Even those experts who have nearly mastered their domains but never quite reached the legendary status of Mozart, Einstein or Shakespeare easily stand out from the crowd. A piano virtuoso, a math prodigy, a bestselling author – their particular skill and talent is easily discernable even by laypeople and there is little question that they are something quite extra-ordinary.

So what about politicians? What happened there? Where are all the political “geniuses”? How can you really tell if they’re good save exceptional? For one thing, you might expect them to sound good in public. Of all the different professions and occupations, it would seem as if politicians would exemplify excellent public speaking, that is precisely, being articulate, sharp, and convincing in front of hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people.

But that’s exactly what did not happen at the 2004 Presidential Debates between George W. Bush and John Kerry. They both looked clumsy, unsure, and overcautious. The content of their speech was nearly worthless and uninspiring. At that point in history, every American citizen with an IQ over 12 feared for the future of the nation.

Of course, a reason why they sounded so inane was that they didn’t want to talk “over” the intellect of the common American. It’s better to sound unimpressive than flat-out confusing to the majority of Americans (IQs ranging between 12 and 13). But couldn’t they say at least a couple smart things instead of coming off as simple-minded and one-dimensional to those of us who have read the newspaper within the past week? I’d like to think that a public debate is where a politician can really shine through for everyone to see, but I guess that’s really not the case.

So how can you tell if someone’s a political genius? Is there any way to really tell if our current president is exceptional at politics? You’d think so because otherwise he wouldn’t have made it so far. But as of yet, the realm of politics leaves too much lacking, and it’s nearly impossible to tell who’s worth two dimes and who’s worth nothing at all. Could it be possible that the most mediocre people in the world are running the most difficult and intricate tasks of the entire country?