When I was a kid the Yankees had a pitcher named Steve Hamilton. He was a lefty like me and about six foot six, and he would throw sidearm so he would absolutely destroy left handed hitters. To them, Hamilton's pitches must have looked like they were coming from first base. In those days baseball was played during the day so I would come home from school, turn the tv to the game, roll up a pair of socks, and mimic Steve Hamilton's pitching motion. I would watch -- one eye on the tv, one eye on the mirror -- as he would put his hands to his belt, pause for a moment, then slowly lift his right leg into a gigantic kick as his left hand would sweep around, waist level, and snap a curveball toward home plate. And I would be doing exactly the same, at the same time -- a mini-me decades before Austin Powers. My target was a pillow I'd placed across the room, sometimes the rolled-up socks would hit it with a satisfying pop, often they would sail into a lamp or out the door. No matter. I was learning to pitch from one of the best -- mistakes were unavoidable.
Clumsy segue to today's Presidential elections:
The United States is arguably the most visible country on earth. Even though we only have about 5% of the world's population, we are the leaders in just about everything -- especially innovation. We are the creators, the inventors of all kinds of good stuff from technology to government. We are the oldest democracy on the planet and consequently many other countries -- not all, but many -- look to us for guidance and leadership and inspiration. They may not always agree with us but they respect who we are, what we've done, and how we continue to do it. And in many cases, overtly or not, they imitate us.
Which is why election season is so consequential. Over the past few months I've had the opportunity to travel to Europe as well as to Latin America and Asia. In even the most casual conversations with locals, the elections come up as a topic of great interest. The predominant reaction I've gotten is confusion -- they just don't get what's going on over here. They often ask the question in comical terms -- Have you lost your minds? -- but many a truth is said in jest. They really do believe something has gone very wrong. They don't know who they should be following, or supporting, or even taking seriously. And they're aware what happens in America is often a predecessor to what happens in other countries, so now they're afraid of what may happen to them down the road.
They don't see our candidates the way many Americans do -- as buffoons. They see our candidates as shrewd politicians, each one with a well-defined strategy intended to get them elected. Trump is the America First isolationist. Sanders is the promise-them-anything socialist. Hillary is smart and experienced but flawed and untrustworthy. Cruz is the Bible thumper. Rubio is always on message -- whatever that message may be. And Kasich is the wholesome uncle trying to break into the party.
None of them are Steve Hamilton -- nobody I spoke with aspired to have any of our candidates be a model for their own country's leadership. Far from it.
One consequence of all this is it diminishes America in the eyes of the world. We become smaller, less trustworthy, less leader-like. We slip closer to become just another country -- a bit wealthier and stronger perhaps, but with leadership as flawed and erratic and myopic as everyone else's. The world really does expect more from us, and we're not giving it to them.
I want Steve Hamilton back.
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