The Idea Of American Exceptionalism Doesn't Extend

The Mayans Were Right, As It Turns Out, When They Predicted The World Would End In 2012. It Was Just A Select World: The G.o.p. Universe Of Arrogant, Uptight, Entitled, Bossy, Retrogressive White Guys. [...] Instead Of Smallpox, Plagues, Drought And Conquistadors, The Republican Decline Will Be Traced To A Stubborn Refusal To Adapt To A World Where Poor People And Sick People And Black People And Brown People And Female People And Gay People Count.

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.

As Blue Chips Turn Into Penny Stocks, Wall Street Seems Less Like A Symbol Of America's Macho Capitalism And More Like That Famous Jane Austen Character Mrs. Bennet, A Flibbertigibbet Always Anxious About Getting Richer And Her 'poor Nerves.'

Just Because Digital Technology Makes Connecting Possible Doesn't Mean You're Actually Reaching People.

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