Let me just say, I love me some Obama. He's smart, he's articulate, he's darned good looking (a very rare presidential trait). In my politics and the media class, thought, we were discussing the "who do you want to have a beer with" question for the Republican candidates. Obviously, the overwhelming favourite was Ron Paul. Duh.
But then I started thinking, "Would I want to have a beer with Obama?" And, while I love the man, (and agree with him on almost everything) the answer is definitely "no". I was watching him speak this morning at the University of Michigan, and he was trying to be his old 2008 campaign self ("Hey I still remember how much I paid in student loans! I know the names of students and stuff! I'm young! Have you guys seen that youtube video?!") I appreciate what he's doing. I would like him to win, so I get that he needs college students to get out the vote. But he seems like his two modes are "super serious policy wonk" and "attention needy over-charismatic crowd worker". I love the first guy, understand why the second guy needs to exist, and really don't want to hang out with either one.
But then I started thinking, "Would I want to have a beer with Hillary? What about Cory Booker? Dianne Feinstein or Barbara Boxer?" No, no, no and no. I would definitely love to just talk with any of these people. But I don't want to hang out or be their friend. (Rahm Emanuel is clearly a different story. Any drink, any meal, any time, anywhere. Let's hang out always.)
So there are two possible explanations for this. 1) I can be a little anti-social sometimes. I cancel a lot of plans and if my choice is between Downton Abbey snuggled in my bed or going to a loud bar, I will definitely tend to choose the former. I don't think this is the reason, though. Because I would love to have a beer with Ron Paul or Chris Christie or even John Boehner. Mostly I would want to see if I could make him cry.
This brings me to possible explanation 2. 2) I only like having beers with people with whom I disagree. Well, political beers. I want Obama and Hilary and Feinstein and Boxer and Booker to go govern. I want Paul and Christie and Boehner to sit with me and chat about politics because I would way rather hear a totally different way of viewing the role of government and improving our country. So I don't think that "Who would you want to have a beer with?" question is valid at all. You know who I really want to go to a bar with? Peter Sagal from Wait Wait. Because he's hilarious. And yet I really really don't want him to be president. I want the people governing my country to be so wonky and wrapped up in their work that they seem like the worst happy hour buddies ever. We need a new go-to question.
Another possible explanation for my drinking companion choices: maybe if I'm liquoring up all the Republicans, the Democrats will actually get something done.
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