I don't have much time to watch TV these days. Where I used to carve out the hour(s) to watch or read things that kept me both politically informed and perpetually fired up, as time has progressed, I have grown weary of the pettiness and rancor, the stalemates and the name calling. I'm tired of the seeming futility of it all in the face of such potentially catastrophic consequences of our government's inertia on a whole host of issues.
So when I reached for my iPhone to quickly scroll through my Facebook feed -- a much more valuable use of my time, no doubt -- and saw a photograph of George Stephanopoulos sitting with President Obama, I, being prone to the occasional wise-assed-ness, quickly typed the first thought that popped into my head when I looked at the picture, which was: Why am I looking at this photo and wishing your jobs were reversed?
Sure, it might have been a chuckle-worthy caption, but the truth is someone (other than George Stephanopoulos, that is) should be concerned about me saying it.
"Why?" you ask, because I was one of the many grassroots supporters of the president who not only touted why he was the man for the job, but also donated the paltry four dollars every time McCain/Palin/Romney/Ryan opened their mouths respectively. So if I'm saying that, then someone needs to send me a dozen roses and a sweet note of apology for squandering the single payer healthcare option and still being in Afghanistan after we captured and killed Bin Laden... in Pakistan... three years ago.
Oh, I could go on and on about guns, and climate change, and immigration, and our failing public educational system, but I've got really important things to do like learn how to use Instagram.
I returned to Facebook later in the day to find that people had commented on my comment about George Stephanopoulos swapping jobs with President Obama.
Oh, for Pete's sake! People really do this -- comment on a comment??? It turns out that yes, they, in fact, do. Am I supposed to acknowledge these comments? I quickly weigh the wisdom of any reply and determine that no good can really come of it. Point taken and lesson learned.
So while yes, I can give you a lengthy list of reasons why George Stephanopoulos would legitimately make a terrific president, I am still audaciously hoping that the guy we've got there now will find it in himself to rise to the challenge of the work at hand, with less concern for appearances and more for results, and greater regard for actual progress than approval numbers.
Mr. Stephanopoulos' job, in many ways, is no less important, for he is our collective voice when he's sitting in a room interviewing the president, and in being that collective voice, he is tasked not only with bringing us an accurate portrayal of what's really taking place, but he also carries an unspoken obligation to hold accountable those whom we've put in office and entrusted with the job of looking out for the good of all.