An Empty Suit

In the course of the past several weeks, although I was scrambling to restore order to my internet universe, it didn't mean I wasn't paying attention to my favorite drug....  political news, and the us election coverage.  A day without msnbc on the pc is a bleak one indeed. 

So I didn't miss any of the twists and turns of the campaign, nor the conventions, nor some of the most outlandish and offensive things I've ever heard, culminating in the 11th century elucidations of one congressman Akin, whose lack of knowledge of anatomy...  or anything else for that matter, was shocking, vicious, and insulting. 

What I had been most interested in seeing was Romney at the convention.  Like many, I thought, 'Now he's finally gonna open up and give the rethugs something concrete.'  Well, I shouldn't have  held my breath, should I... 

And until yesterday, he baffled me.  How can anyone lack any sort of substance, any sort of core?  He even seems too bland to be actually craven.  Empty suit.  So I wondered. 

And yesterday it finally hit me.  I remembered someone.  S.  Of all the people I have ever known...  he's the one I knew least.  Even though we roomed together twice in our student days.  Everyone else I knew, well, there were shared stories, reminiscences, background on family, early life, hopes dreams, what one wanted to accomplish. 

S. was different.  Handsome, popular, had a very quiet and sort of off-the-wall humour, but yesterday I realised I don't really know one thing about him.  And it never really bothered me, he was just his quirky self, I thought. 

However....

He has that nervous laugh thing that Romney does..  heh-heh...  he is never really comfortable with people.  He comes from a wealthy and influential family, but never let anyone 'feel' it.  And in the end, I am beginning to believe there was nothing there inside.  Just...  sailing along in life, and it was all the way it was supposed to go, no hardships, no struggles, it was what he was entitled to, or so he thought. 

He married very late, and spent a week visiting Peter and I when we still had our lovely home.  And one night he said the only thing that ever came out of his mouth that floored me.  'Looking back I'm so grateful you dragged me to all those museums in Munich:'  Yes, we worked together at the Olympics and I did often say, 'hey, this is supposed to be seen, and this...  wanna come along?'  I never twisted his arm, in fact, I loved going to museums alone and just soaking up information and impressions.  So that was very odd... 

Whatever, thinking about that, I think I understand Romney a bit better now.  There is no core to some of 'those people' to turn the tables, so to speak.  They really are different...  and basically empty souls incapable of any sort of emotion other than a temper tantrum if they don't get what they want.  Although S. never did that.  His calm was eerie. 

Supposedly, Mittens does.  Only difference I can see.... 

At least I can stop breaking my head about what may or may not be inside the candidate.  It's a vacuum.