It's A Fine Line Between Stupid And Clever

The New York Times reported today that New York Governor George Pataki was in Iowa Tuesday "exploring" a presidential run in 2008. Uh, yeah. Right. Pataki is “exploring” a run in 2008 like I’m ”getting paid” to write this.

Anyway, Pataki did a good job of ticking off all the appropriate boxes. Bring up a personal connection to 9-11? Check. Trout out the “not the time to point fingers” Republican talking point? Check. Surround himself with a bunch of Cedar Rapids firefighters? Check, though I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt here and assume that whatever pictures might have been taken of him with his firefighters didn’t have the same impact as President Bush’s recent firefighter photo-op in New Orleans, which appears to have had the lovely and compassionate effect of pulling several brave and heroic first responders away from the ongoing Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, rendering them little more than an attractive and politically advantageous backdrop.

In any case, the truth is, I don’t have a problem with Gov. Pataki doing what he needs to do as he runs for… er, explores running for President. (Oh that's right, I forgot one… Deny that he’s a candidate for President for the United States? "There will come a time for politics, but 2008 is a long way away," he said. Check, check and double-check.)

What I do object to, however, is the shameful and disgraceful denigration of a modern American institution – namely the drugged out, groupie-obsessed rock star. Permit me to explain. According to the New York Times, starry-eyed Iowa State Senator Charles W. Larson Jr. of Cedar Rapids gushed that Gov. Pataki “has kind of a rock star quality”. Oh really? And exactly what kind of rock star, State Senator Larson, would that be? You won't hear me saying Pataki isn’t capable in his own way of “raising the roof” or “rockin’ the joint with his axe” or whatever it is the kids are calling it these days… but seriously, dude? Rock star quality?

So would that be, oh I don’t know… Bono rock star quality? Billy Joe Armstrong of punk band Green Day rock star quality? Or are we talking more, say, Hootie and the Blowfish rock star quality?

Because if State Senator Larson is right and Gov. Pataki is now the very quintessence of a rock star, doesn’t that mean that we should demand that our rock stars should now possess that certain “Governor of the State of New York” quality?

Consider it your move, Mr. Snoop Doggy Dog.