Maybe Jeb is the best of the Bushes, combining the shrewd global vision of his father with his brother's grit.
Maybe Hillary would be the pragmatic head of state as many world leaders see her, a no-nonsense political leader and the better half of the power couple all along.
But I am tired of the Bushes and the Clintons, who seem geared up for another round of competing for the Presidency as if they were settling a border dispute.
If either Hillary Clinton or Jeb Bush wins the 2016 Presidential election and serves eight years, the White House will have been occupied by a Bush or a Clinton for 28 of 36 years. Say this for Barack Obama: Wherever the birthers think he was born, he wasn't cradled by members of either of America's two royal families as he entered the world.
What does it say about a sprawling democracy, though, when it keeps rotating back to the same two families? Names such as Adams, Harrison, Roosevelt and Kennedy remind us that political dynasties are nothing new in America.
This is different, though. A connected, media-driven age should allow us more access to a wider range of ideas and candidates.
Yet the pool is shrinking, not expanding. Never have two families run in lockstep with each other, jockeying for position in the heart and soul of America.
At a time most Americans say it's time for change, they represent safe and familiar security blankets. That is comforting to a nation that fears what change it may get, but it does not speak well for a nation built on choice and a broad range of ideas, not a reliance on heavyweights trotted out by two households.
Read more: Another Bush-Clinton race does not suggest a healthy democracy: Viewpoint | masslive.com
Maybe Hillary would be the pragmatic head of state as many world leaders see her, a no-nonsense political leader and the better half of the power couple all along.
But I am tired of the Bushes and the Clintons, who seem geared up for another round of competing for the Presidency as if they were settling a border dispute.
If either Hillary Clinton or Jeb Bush wins the 2016 Presidential election and serves eight years, the White House will have been occupied by a Bush or a Clinton for 28 of 36 years. Say this for Barack Obama: Wherever the birthers think he was born, he wasn't cradled by members of either of America's two royal families as he entered the world.
What does it say about a sprawling democracy, though, when it keeps rotating back to the same two families? Names such as Adams, Harrison, Roosevelt and Kennedy remind us that political dynasties are nothing new in America.
This is different, though. A connected, media-driven age should allow us more access to a wider range of ideas and candidates.
Yet the pool is shrinking, not expanding. Never have two families run in lockstep with each other, jockeying for position in the heart and soul of America.
At a time most Americans say it's time for change, they represent safe and familiar security blankets. That is comforting to a nation that fears what change it may get, but it does not speak well for a nation built on choice and a broad range of ideas, not a reliance on heavyweights trotted out by two households.
Read more: Another Bush-Clinton race does not suggest a healthy democracy: Viewpoint | masslive.com
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