A young, moderate Republican-ish woman has chosen to run for Congress. She is running as an Independent. She will likely win. She is smart, well-spoken and quite beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that she was Miss America in 2018. Her name is Cara Mund. She is 28. With the possible exception of smiling alla damn time, she seems to have her head on right. She’s a graduate of Harvard Law school and Brown University and she has put herself out there all her life being smart, nice and pretty.
North Dakota has been a very red Republican state for a long time and a big supporter of the real-life Don in 2016 and 2020. Cara identified as a Republican and even briefly interned for one, I believe, in the Senate. But Cara rejects Trump, Trumpism and now the entire Republican party. She is really a moderate/centre/political candidate and, by choosing to run as an Independent, she is putting herself out there once again. Historically, being an Independent in North Dakota is worse than being a Democrat. They like their brand names there.
Surprisingly, even the Democrats are somewhat conservative there. The guy running for the Dems is a Pro-lifer and supported the SCOTUS reversal/transfer of Roe v Wade. It was that and the corrupt Republicans and their overall, pro-corporate, anti-people position that prompted Mund to run without party affiliation. The general reception to her decision has been so supportive that the Democratic candidate, Mark Haugen, has even dropped out.
Like I said, she is likely to win.
Is that a good thing? On the plus side, more young women suggest that fresh views and approaches are looming. She and others (Dems, Omar and AOC) do not have long-in-the-tooth party roots or debts. Mary Peltola of Alaska might be another. All of those mentioned are also smart and have principles. In fact, they all agree on the error of the Supreme Court so there is a hint of possible bi-partisan cooperation again on at least that one issue.
Unbelievable that Roe v Wade is still the biggest game-changer while so many other things like Climate Change are not.
On the negative side, despite a lot of exposure in the media, they are not really all that experienced. It will be an uphill slog to influence much of anything so long as the ‘establishment’ and the established idiots are still there.
So, does it mean anything? My hope is that it does. It may be an harbinger. It ‘feels’ a bit different. My cynicism is that they are there because they are attractive first, smile a lot second and being intelligent and good is way down the list. ‘Mericans love their pretty celebrities but don’t much care about brains.
The one thing it does mean to me is the possible emergence of that one aspect of politics I have wanted for over 40 years – the independent being a viable contender and NOT being relegated to the sidelines. Mund was very clear in her debut speech: the parties are corrupt (well, she referenced the GOP, anyway). They are designed to keep the commoner out. They are designed to punish any real, grass-root advocate for the people who does not put the party first.
THAT message is absolutely the right one at the right time.
Admittedly, she is NOT a commoner either but only because of her Miss America and Harvard qualifications (exceptional advantages). But, other than those, she is quite believably ‘ordinary’ and down to earth. If she gets in because she is beautiful, I will puke. If she gets in because both Red and Blue voters heard common sense, I will rejoice.
And, if she and other Independents continue to emerge as contenders, there may still be hope for US democracy after all.
Jus’ sayin’………..
Our Off the Grid Home 
Interesting.
Never heard of her.
But she is 100% correct.
The Lobbying that goes on in the US and Canada is obscene.
VAST amounts of money required to win an election.
Lobbyists shovel the money out and expect favors in return.
Lobbying should be banned.
I’ll check her website out.
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Like a lot of “Misses”, she looks a bit artificial (too much smiles and all). So she should NOT be elected for her looks but for her intelligence
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True. ‘Merican woman employs too much artifice from smilin’ alla time to silicon boobs. Gimme the real gal. Most of ’em are good enough and not made any better with paint and crap.
What the hell is wrong with a culture that promotes fake women? But I listened to her and she talked well, was honest and had good answers. Given the rest of North Dakotans, she’d get my vote if I was there (but I’d have left already).
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even if she runs as an independent, she will need a lot of sponsors to pay for her campaign. And sponsors will want something back for their money. So what’s the difference? We should have politicians who are completely independent!
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True. Mostly. Probably always. The real reform besides ridding ourselves of parties is that no one should contribute to anyone’s campaign. The government pays some trifling local advertising and that is that. No barrier to running then. f your local reputation doesn’t pave the way for you, then your oratory skills better be great (or you are really beautiful).
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Wow! The whole package.
Harvard Law. Business degree from Brown University.
Smart, good looking, and young.
Just like the Queen at the beginning of her reign
Even if Ms Mund doesn’t go far this election.
She’s got years ahead of her to kick ass and take names.
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Independent women and some independent men are increasingly winning office in Australia. The are professional women with good people skills and excellent at their jobs.
I see that Ms Mund has already been a successful advocate for positive change and therefore could be hardly described as inexperienced.
DT by comparison was far more inexperienced in this regard. He was/is more about putting the blame on others, more bulldozerish and threatening, with he and his mob intimidating people within his own party who dared to stand up to him.
Independent does not mean that you can’t have a good team behind you. The grassroots support and volunteers that the newly elected Aussie independents were able to gather around them was phenomenal. One women, who several years ago took on an entrenched sitting member and won, upon retiring from parliament, mentored many of the successful independent candidates at our last national election. Power to the people as they say.
Your comments about Ms Mund’s “look” were a bit demeaning, Dave, and, I can only imagine, is the type of attitude she regularly encounters. But good to hear about her. Thanks for that, Dave.
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Normally I do not defend myself but I think I have to, T. I called her beautiful and did not demean that. It was an exceptional asset. I said that she smiled alla damn time and I DO mean that. ‘Merican women have learned to smile while speaking and it does not vary with the topic. It is insincere and false to me (and, it seems, to Wim as well). I confessed I am not impressed with that ‘spokesmodel’ style at all. I mentioned in one of my comments that ‘Merican women have employed too much artifice in attempting beauty with surgery, paint, silicon and that ‘Merican look that falsifies real women who look just fine without all that crap. Other than that, there was no demeaning and any demeaning intended was for the ‘fake ‘Merican beauty over the real, just-healthy, normal-looking woman. So, I claim not guilty.
As for her having to regularly encounter remarks as to her competence, that was absent in me because of her already established accomplishments but I DID allude to the fact that some people MAY vote for her JUST BECAUSE she is beautiful and that would repulse me – not because of her but because of such shallow-minded voters.
Admittedly, you suggested that I was only a ‘bit’ demeaning and nowadays that should get an ‘acceptable’ pass but it is time to start balking at taking imagined criticism when, in fact, there was none. There was none there. Remember: Miss Mund got what little benefit I could give her with my vastly unpopular and unread blog. And it was largely glowing in nature. She’s a wealthy, beautiful, 28-year old with an elite education and a lot of doors of opportunity open. AND she is/was Republican! And still she got a great review.
Perhaps you misread it?
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On Independents – they take positions. They do not sit and twiddle their thumbs. If some large block of voters (a party, perhaps?) gets something right, they vote WITH them giving that initiative a stronger vote-count. If they side with the opposition, then they can vote that way. And it is NOT like my piddling little MP who no one on the party listens to makes any more of a difference! Independents are not just whackos working on personal agendas, tangents and ignoring the business of the day. Sadly, voters tend to view them as eccentrics and losers instead of free thinkers with no obvious allegiance except to their constituency. The only downside I can see is that they are unlikely to be the Prime Minister but, to be fair, with enough good independents in the house, they may, in fact, be the most likely group from which to pick a PM if the main ‘parties’ are closely numbered.
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I didn’t misread you. What can I say? I got on my feminist high horse. I’ve got a young, gorgeous looking niece. She likes make-up, she likes fashion (but doesn’t seek to be different from her peers), she smiles a lot, she’s sexy. She is kind. She’s very smart. However, if she was standing for election or applying for a job, I hope the commentary would be about what she had to say, her ideas and plans, her achievements, rather than about her looks or fashion sense and how it would be received by the voting public. Of course, this is not what I expect to happen because that is rarely the experience of women.
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Appearances can go both ways.
If only Donald Trumps’ toupee would blow off in the wind…. then we would see the first bald President since Eisenhower……
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I have always thought that beauty in the noticeable extreme is a curse for a woman. Nature has made her attractive and that is part of the cycle-of-life but, if she is stunning, then she may have no time for anything else other than weeding through the waves of suitors. In that sense, beauty can be and usually is limiting. Not uncommon, actually. In Ms Mundo’s case, she was considered stunning but she had and did more than that and I referenced all that.
OK…a small concession: I do not like that new, bright, instant smile laid on while speaking. Like a spokesmodel. It screams insincere and narcissistic to me. In that sense, I was, perhaps, a bit demeaning but, I think the real word is ‘truthful’. We may have to agree to disagree.
But, still on the defensive, males are naturally supposed to be attracted by beauty and so, like the blind moth, they go to the light. We cannot help but notice and the really beautiful are even noticed by other women (i.e. you and your niece). Noticing beauty then is not a crime. Neither is commenting on it (especially if the pretty girl was Miss America – it is a relevant fact). My comment was: if they vote for her because of her beauty, I will puke. If they vote for her because of her common sense, I will rejoice. Except for my eyes and testicles, I am 100% innocent of being demeaning and the eyes and testicles are also 100% normally and naturally deployed. I am standing by my NOT guilty plea.
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I concur, you are not guilty! If you are beautiful or stunning, it is normal that people look at you and comment. There is nothing wrong with that.
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Unless Im the excat opposite, ……stunningly ugly and people comment on that…. 😦
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I am still reeling from our only encounter, NonCon…..nightmares…that kind of thing….
But, to be serious for a moment, of course the males will empathize with me. And, I suppose, the females are supposed to rebuke us. Why? I have no idea. But some of them perceive noticing beauty as sexism. It ain’t. Noticing does not convey anything except, perhaps, admiration and a working set of eyeballs. ACTING on that attraction, on the other hand, is sexism when carried to a point of unwanted-ness. I am sure to be rebuked when I say, I am sure most women WANT a tiny bit of approved action to result from their making themselves as attractive as possible. At the very least, they want to be received with initial respect and kindness. I am still clinging to innocence to the extent possible…
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Yep.
If had my choice of being considered attractive or ugly.
Attractive wins every time.
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I’ve often said that is a good thing God did not make me handsome, rich or smart or otherwise I’d be even more obnoxious. As it is, well….let us just say ‘obnoxious’ is my middle name.
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I’ve often said that it’s a good thing I wasn’t born rich AND handsome! There’s no telling what kind of a$$hole I might have been.
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I am short and dumpy, Dave, and that too was a career disadvantage. If you are a woman, it helps to have the whole package in order to convince enough people to vote for you. I guess that was your point delivered in a rather more icky way. But it’s frickin’ annoying and shrinks the talent pool.
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Our Deputy Prime Minister Christia Freeland managed to over come her “appearance” ( short, dumpy, etc etc etc.)and become….Deputy Prime minister….and judging from our Prime Ministers’ endless prattle……..she’s definitely smarter.
Most voters aren’t going to pick a overweight, poorly dressed, messy haired buffoon ( Boris Johnson?)over a fit, well dressed, well coiffed buffoon.
Like it or not our subconscience biases still rule our monkey/lizard brains
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Maybe.
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Thank goodness beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Freeland has lost some of her luster due to being a bobble head for Trudeau.
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Again, true (except for the ‘icky’ part). To be gorgeous can be a limiting attribute in many more general, personal-growth ways but, for a decade or two it does attract others and make life a bit more fun. And to be homely is also limiting in at least the attraction part (ergo less fun and harder when young). The irony to all that is that it is primarily about gaining entry into the gene pool and just about every female has easier access to the gene pool than any male (that is why we try so hard). Being a bit on the short, dumpy side, myself, I can relate to your reaction with deep empathy. No one ever swooned over me (I used hypnotism on Sal). I often self-describe as having a ‘body like a fridge and a face like a potato. Sometimes, I am even hard on myself. Still, at 74 I managed to swim in the pool with the most beautiful woman in the world for 50+ years. So, I got there despite being un-Brad Pitt-like. Beauty is fun but should NOT be the goal. The goal is personal growth and getting into the pool. With you as her mentor, your niece will most likely walk the path of personal growth but she will be be tempted to use her looks. It’s only natural. I would have given a chance. Just keep her focused on all the right things and she may, like good ol’ Sal, get both.
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I worked with a gal who was very good looking and laser smart.
She could play executives( male and female) like a fiddle.
She acted dumb when required and smart when required.
Whoa to the person that thought she was a bimbo because she was good looking.
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