The American Idol Political Race

Travelling always provides new insight into our immediate changing culture. Airports allow people to exchange ideas with little caution. Either motivated by the absence of security or alcohol, people are almost encouraged to converse with other travellers, sharing self-promoting stories and random political views.

For the last 36 hours I have caught TV stories on the popular news channels, in airports and hotels, discussing the political race at hand. In California, the overwhelmingly popular story has been Maria Shriver backing Obama, while The Governner is backing a republican.

But the consistent theme in all of the stories, in all of the coverage, is not what is best for the country, but "Who is Going to Win."

Our culture's obsession with American Idol is a clear indicator of the common man's dissatisfaction with average. The sad part is not that we are dissatisfied, but that we are unwilling to work hard for something great. We are more willing to trade hard work for a lottery ticket and a tryout for fame.

That being said, this political race has been turned into an American Idol season with 5 candidates left and Wolf Blitzer as Ryan Seacrest. I don't think that the American people care what their candidate does if they get elected. They just want to go to work the day after Election Day and brag to their co-workers, "My Candidate Won."

It is a competition for CEO of a country that is for sale, driven by the media who does not care what is best for the country, who does not care who wins, just how many people watch it happen.