When I Need To Work Up My

The Idea Of American Exceptionalism Doesn't Extend To Americans Being Exceptional.

We Are Riveted By The Soap Operas Of Public Lives. We Admire The Famous Most For What Makes Them Infamous: It Reassures Us That They Are Not Better And No Happier Than All The People With Their Noses Pressed Hard Against The Glass.

Yet It's True That Looks Matter In Politics... It Is Also True That Perfecting The Outer Shell Has Become An Obsession In This Country... Mitt Romney, Barack Obama And John Edwards Almost Always Look Good, And Pretty Much The Same, In Dark Suits Or Casual Wear. Fred Thompson Always Looks Crepuscular And Droopy. Often Hillary Clinton Looks Great, And Sometimes She Looks Tired, Heavier Or Puffier.

Celebrity Distorts Democracy By Giving The Rich, Beautiful, And Famous More Authority Than They Deserve.

A Friendship Between Reporter And Source Lasts Only Until It Is Profitable For One To Betray The Other.