Before Donald Trump ever ran for office, psychologists had written that all politicians are narcissistic.    That they are  driven by a lust for power, prestige, status and authority.  Supposedly, they run for  office to confirm their sense of superiority to others.  Their feelings of entitlement cause them to lie when necessary, in order to satisfy those needs. I guess all of us are acquainted with politicians who seem to genuinely care about the constituents they serve.  So, I’m not buying into that one-size-fits-all characterization.  But politicians with feet of clay continue to disappoint us.

I’m not a New Yorker (except by birth) so I didn’t pay much attention to what Governor Cuomo was saying and doing at the start of the pandemic last year.  He talked a pretty good game.  The news media suggested he should run for president, because he was handling the covid-19 crisis so well.  Turns out, he wasn’t.  In fact, he was handling it very badly.  Shipped covid-19 patients off to nursing homes, where they infected elderly patients.  All of which resulted in over 1,000 unnecessary deaths.

And now, this last week, Senator Ted Cruz from Texas skipped town, leaving his constituents to suffer and freeze to death during a power outage.  But somebody spotted him on a plane to Cancun, and all hell broke loose.  The media pounced, and rightfully so.

Cruz and Cuomo now have one thing in common—feet of clay.  Although Cuomo’s actions are far more egregious than Cruz’s trip to Mexico, you have to wonder. Why did they not care about the feelings and needs of the people who elected them?

Politicians’ career killing gaffes are nothing new, of course.  Remember Gary Hart, who was thought to be headed for presidential stardom?  Many politicians do stupid things, but they slip under the radar.  Sadly, most of us admire and respect the people we vote for.  We hang on their every word, and believe that they care about us.  But politicians with feet of clay will continue to disappoint us.