A lot of people hate election years, but there's a snarky part of me that loves them. The low-budget ads, especially on the local level. The candidate gaffes. The inevitable Sarah Palin appearance that will result in dozens of SNL/Tina Fey parodies.
The one thing I can't stand? All the faux folksy. Every time we get close to a primary or caucus, we're bombarded with staged photos and reports of candidates being "normal."
Rick Santorum hunts! (In an NRA cap, no less.) Newt Gingrich names Chuck Norris his "Secretary of Attack"! Mitt Romney does his own laundry! (And the other side is just as guilty. Republicans may have more examples this year, because of the run-off, but remember Hillary knocking back a whiskey shot in 2008?)
Does anyone believe Mitt Romney actually does his own laundry? That, in between campaign stops, debates and strategy meetings, he thinks, "Oh, I've really got to do a load of whites!"?
I don't look at that picture and think, "Wow, Romney is so down to earth." Instead, I wonder how dumb he and all of the other candidates think we are. Do they actually believe they're successfully pulling one over on us?
I get that they're trying to come off as relatable. Salespeople who are likeable — whether they're selling insurance policies or themselves — will almost always do better in the long run.
