Politics

I'm off to do the volunteer thing tonight with Vision Vancouver. I had my first phone call with the volunteer co-ordinator yesterday. Apparently my "captain" will be a woman named "Sage". I don't think I made any friends when I asked to be paired with someone who didn't have such a ridiculous name.

Apparently tonight is a meet and greet, with the candidates doing the glad handing things with free food, and non alcoholic drinks. I haven't done any schmoozing in ages, so I'll have to make sure I have my best slippery conversation cliches on a card of paper.

The problem with politics is the politics. I wonder how a candidate who didn't do the social functions, came across as strictly dry, but knowledgable of the facts with his expertise on the issues unparalleled. Would such a candidate go down in flames?

Why do we demand that people crafting legislation also be social extroverts. Are we not eliminating a lot of socially awkward people from public service? When did politics become a social event, with the candidate needing to master the skills of epicurie as well as dogma?

Some of the smartest people in history have been social maladroits.