> I would never want to be a politician. For similar reasons I look at 'politician' as a real, honorable professional with its own set of professional skills.

> I would never want to be a politician. For similar reasons I look at 'politician' as a real, honorable professional with its own set of professional skills. First, you need to understand any issue that might cross your desk. Then, amidst the insanity of the political environment, you need to maintain your own clear vision, maintain a nuanced, up-to-date feel for your constituency's opinions and for the forces in the halls of power, triangulate and anticipate all of it in order to judge what is possible, and then have the skills to lead/nudge/guide/push/negotiate all those forces simultaneously in order to execute what you think is possible. The trend of hiring outsiders for the job is absurd, IMO. Few things impress me more than a skilled politician at work (i.e., one who uses their skills to accomplish things).