Compared to Sarah Palin, George W. Bush has wisdom and gravitas. Compared to the current incarnation of John McCain, George W. Bush really has a pair of cojones. Compared to all three, Dick Cheney is Master Of The Universe.

George W. Bush never had convictions to begin with, so it is inappropriate to fault him for losing them, leaving them behind, or throwing them away. In his case, convictions are irrelevant. John McCain not only had convictions, as he has said, he had the Courage of his convictions, as is perceived by his base. In McCain’s case, in his public persona, his convictions are the most relevant aspect of his character. In his quest for power however, he has pointedly put courage and convictions aside.

Regardless of what anyone thinks, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney are, in their own dark way, the quintessential uber-politicians. In contrast, John McCain and Sarah Palin have been repackaged as third-rate Circus Clowns; a halftime sight gag awkwardly prancing behind the elephant parade, pooper scoopers in hand.

Even if the current administration is a corrupt abomination of what government should be, it still would be a hundred times more desirable if Dick Cheney figured out a way to amend the constitution, allowing Mr. Dubya to get reelected to four more years of bedlam, than to have the improvised, contrived, unholy alliance of McCain and Palin, the Presumptive Clowns, in office for even one day.

I firmly believe that a country has the government it deserves. If we as a country have, deep down, a passionate desire for governance by incompetents, then let’s just stick with the current set of incompetency. It’ll be less damaging and laughable than the proposed succession, if said succession were to come to pass. If we as a country have finally awakened from our political stupor, and have been born again as responsible citizens, with full awareness of our civic obligations and our place in the world, there is no excuse, none whatsoever, for allowing clowns, or incompetents, to govern.