Is This the Most Annoying Politician in America?
TBR Sunday Read
Is there a more grating assclown than Louisiana Senator John Neely Kennedy? I’m open to the possibility, but I doubt it.
Allow me to state my case.
In my book Profiles in Ignorance: How America’s Politicians Got Dumb and Dumber, I argued that, over the past half-century, mass media have given rise to an Age of Ignorance, rewarding politicians who can entertain over those who can think.
I divided the Age of Ignorance into three stages: Ridicule, Acceptance, and Celebration.
During the Ridicule stage, ignorance was a magnet for mockery, a serious flaw that could kill a political career. Consequently, dumb politicians had to pretend to be smart.
During the Acceptance stage, ignorance mutated into something more agreeable: a sign that a politician was authentic, down-to-earth, and a “normal person.” Consequently, dumb politicians felt free to appear dumb.
Finally, during the Celebration stage—the ordeal we’re enduring right now—ignorance has become preferable to knowledge and dunces are exalted over experts. Being ill-informed is now a litmus test; consequently, smart politicians must pretend to be dumb.
The Celebration stage has produced a bulging roster of highly-educated politicians who strive to sound like morons every time they open their mouths: Ron DeSantis, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Elise Stefanik—and the singularly irritating Sen. John Neely Kennedy of Louisiana.