On the Radio, Woe Oh Oh Oh

Pedantic punditry’s finest hour

I listen to NPR a lot these days. Between that and doomscrolling 24/7, it’s a challenge to carve out time to think or write. But today my inspiration came on the radio waves, and not in a good way.

I’m disappointed and a little bit angry too at what appears (to me, at least) to be an utter lack of solid values and good, common sense.

Here’s what I heard this afternoon––yet another pundit speculating about Biden’s possible cabinet choices. The discussion was centered around the governor of my state and whether or not he was qualified for the XYZ position. This pundit said that, regardless of his qualifications or experience, he would not be chosen for a cabinet position because presidents fill those with people who “deliver a state that otherwise wouldn’t have gone blue.” I’m typing this from memory, and this isn’t an exact quote, but you get the idea.

I get it. I understand that politics is a game of pay me now or pay me later or give me something and I’ll give you something. Quid pro quo. Isn’t that what got our current ex-President impeached?

But that’s not the point here. My point is, shouldn’t the cabinet be filled with the most competent, capable, sensible, honest, and devoted civil servants that can be found? It is absurd that these vitally important positions aren’t occupied with serious Constitution-loving do-gooders who have a proven track record of getting things done, of pulling people of different opinions, mindsets, agendas (and whatever else keeps us all at each others’ throats) together for the common good, achieving common goals.

It’s more than frustrating to be hiding behind a mask these days without any leadership at the top to help work our way out of this mess. What’s worse is that everybody lies, some knowingly and with malice aforethought, and some just through willful ignorance.

Last summer I sent a letter to every candidate and elected legislator from my district, both state and national levels, asking them, “What would stop you from sponsoring a bill that makes it a federal crime for an elected official to lie to the public?” I did receive a phone call from my Congressman, and a long and satisfying discussion about this, even veering off into climate change issues. But not a word from anyone else.

What is it going to take? How will we get there? I remember back in the day when I was “working the Hill” and thinking how much better it would be if, instead of adding more Band-Aids to the existing planet-sized ball of laws & rules & regs, we could throw out the whole tangled mess and start with a clean slate. With talented people. No lies. No quid pro quo. Good-hearted, selfless professionals.

This dream might never be fulfilled, but maybe we’re on the right track now. Hard to say. But meanwhile, I’m turning off the radio until they find some higher-caliber pundits.

Adelia Ritchie, 2020