Keep your expectations low and you'll never be disappointed

People who know me know better than to ask me my opinion on politics. They usually have neither the time nor the attention span to sit through the answer. But right now, like any good blogger, I'm feeling the inclination to put my unsolicited opinion out there. As the interminable primary season culminated in back to back party conventions, it seems like one of the loudest and most ridiculous complaints rising above the din has taken the form of an attack on elitism. I simply cannot understand this. When did the title of an elitist become an epithet of derision? During the Olympics, the world was riveted as elite athletes shattered world records, and achieved feats of apparent super-human greatness. Merely witnessing these events inspired people to try a little harder and do a little better in their own personal pursuits. When you think about elite universities, what comes to mind? The best of the best. Great minds coming together to put forth innovative ideas, elevate those around them, and attack common ills that beset society. Do we not all strive to achieve some variation on elite? When we do not, the sad spectacle is nothing more than wasted potential. And yet when a politician emerges with brains, class, and an admonition to the people to expect a little more from themselves, the response is backlash. Such a person can't possibly relate to the concerns of the average voter. Such a person is aloof and untouchable. Such a person isn't average like me. Wake up people. Do we really want to elect public servants who are "average"? I get the fact that people want their leaders to understand the concerns that plague the populace. However, if we want a person to face those problems head on, we need someone with the audacity to present new ideas to counter the old ideas that have failed us. Solutions don't come from people who are average; people who never dare to separate themselves from the pack. Solutions come from people who realize that average isn't an aspiration; it's a concession. I don't care what your politics are. Red, blue, conservative, liberal; it doesn't matter. Governments evade accountability to the electorate when people are too busy being average to pay attention. We may not be quite a "nation of whiners," but I do think we've become a nation of underachievers. And that's not okay. The problems our nation faces are real. We cannot expect to compete in a global economy if average is our high watermark. We need to be developing alternative energy sources. We need to address climate change. We need to take responsibility for the sad state of our economic infrastructure. We need to restore our political credibility with leaders in the international community. We need to discard the politics of fear. We need to rise to the challenges that face us. Average isn't going to cut it. We all need to strive to be elite and we all should expect nothing less from our leaders.