"A good man"

[forsyth]

A lot of times, when somebody's up for nomination or running for some public office, their defenders will say "He's a good man." Often, whether it's true or not is up for debate, but the problem is, it's mostly irrelevant. A "good man" who's incompetent is not a good fit for most jobs. A not-always good man, or even a bad man, as long as they're competent and don't abuse the position, is usually a better choice.

Remember that Star Trek episode where Kirk got split into his "nice" half and his "nasty" half? It's kinda like that.

So often, when they're defending someone as a "good man", it's because they can't defend him on the merits. Talking about his family, or his church life, or whatever, while that can show you aspects of his character, fundamentally matters a lot less than many other things. A lot of times, a leader has to be a bit of a bastard. The key is to know WHEN to be a bastard. Because being a bastard all the time doesn't work, either.

Tags: Mindscribbles, Politics, Life, The Universe, and Everything