Romance and politics don't mix, just ask Bill Clinton. However, there is a politics to romance, and to choosing the perfect life mate and world leader. Maybe my ways of choosing both need some changes, but this is how I used to do it. Pick a President, that is.
GOP: Gay, Out and Proud
A Gay Opinion 2/27/01
by R.A. Melos
I never really cared for, or actually gave much thought to, politics. I don't
remember the first Presidential election in which I voted, and, as the most
recent Presidential election proved, it's more than likely, I won't trust anyone
I do vote for in the future. I guess, politically speaking, I'll go back to
my old method of choosing the candidate I will back.
Huh, what? Oh, what was my old method of choosing a candidate?
I used to vote for the candidate I found most sexually attractive. Not necessarily
the one I would want to sleep with, but the one who at the very least set off
an emotion of recognition of sexual attraction within me. However, as a recent
article in Genre magazine on how to find a boyfriend pointed out for me, as
if I needed a magazine article to point out anything to me, my method of finding
a boyfriend doesn't lead me to the proper choices for myself.
Now, since my method of, let's call it "life companion hunting" is
the same as my political candidate selection system, it is reasonable to assume
I have made poor political choices in the past.
Well, I know I made a poor choice as far as life companions go, or I wouldn't
currently be alone. According to the above mentioned boyfriend stalking article,
I mean boyfriend hunting article, I should be looking for overall substance
where a man is concerned. He should be well rounded, in a figurative way, encompassing
stable emotional, physical, and financial status.
Okay. Now right here is where the problem comes into play. Society, both heterosexual
and homosexual alike, from the time of our births, teaches all of us the only
things to aim for are looks and money.
When political candidates are financial equals, just like potential life partners,
my next criteria is looks. Of course, if I had my way, Gary Hart would've been
president way back in the day. Alas, now, so would Al Gore.
Being a modern gay man, one who is, perhaps, more free thinking even for our
current free thinking times, I should be about more than looks and money. After
all, it seems to me, if all I'm about are looks and money, then I'm no better
than any of the heterosexual women I know.
Now, when it comes to life companion choices, many of us just can't seem to
punch out the hole. Oh sure, we get those bubbles, shadows, and partial blips,
which could mean we have a winner but, in the long run, we've really only fooled
ourselves into a short term relationship with no more substance than an over
the hill frat party boy (that's the same as a 30 year old circuit party boy
in gay-speak).
Since my political decision has, for the time being, been made for me, due to
circumstances beyond my control, it's time to focus on potential life partners
again. Now bearing in mind, according to Genre magazine, I'm already making
life altering mistakes in my life partner choosing process, and my political
leader choosing process as well, I'm left to pick up the pieces of my shattered
political and romantic illusions and make the best of an undesirable situation.
Well, at least I don't have to actually sleep with George W. Bush.