When confronted with the sobering results of a national poll showing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as one of, if not the least popular political figure in the nation, she replied with a cool, "I don't care."
Now, I think the results of the poll are well-deserved and totally justified. I don't like Pelosi either; she's feckless, catty, disingenuous and shrill. However, truth be told, I found her smug retort just a little refreshing and couldn't help smiling. Why? Because, in an age of undiluted populism that recommends shameless pandering as the sole method of advancement in politics, Pelosi gave short shrift to the idea that being liked is the alpha and omega of politics. Being everyone's pal should not be the endgame of a true statesman. He should be more concerned with doing the best thing in terms of the interests of the state, based on the information before him and not whether this or that poll says it's a good or bad idea. Ask yourself: How often do you hear a politician in today's touchy-feely, "What can I do for you?" climate say, "I don't care about being popular." Certainly Washington, Adams and Hamilton, to name a few, would not have cared if faced with such a poll.
Now, Pelosi being Pelosi, I think that deep down she does care and is quite concerned over her dismal status in national opinion polls. That said, I'm happy with the findings of the poll (because they are well warranted) and with Pelosi's reply (because it spurned populism).
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