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Uncommon Knowledge: Tom Cotton on the Road Not Taken
As I prepared for my recent Uncommon Knowledge interview with newly-elected Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, this thought jumped out at me: at 37 years of age, with a couple of Harvard degrees to his name, a new wife, and a baby on the way, Tom Cotton is—on paper—the kind of guy you’d expect to be making a killing on Wall Street or a white shoe law firm. Instead, he’s opted for professional politics. Why? His answer below:
Published in General
One of my many mantras is that there are only two people that go into politics, people that already rich and people that want to become rich.
I hope Senator Cotton is an exception, but I will reserve judgement for a while. Even so, Harry Reid seems to have become exceedingly wealthy as a Senator, so I’m don’t think the choice is quite as stark as you make it out to be.
Of course, what Senator Cotton is not saying, but would if he were honest is this:
“It was a great honor to serve as a platoon leader, but I realize now I should have been a tanker, because those guys are baaaad!”
But we won’t hold it against him. ;-)
Very, very impressive man.
As The King notes, Sen. Cotton is a very impressive man. I admire enormously his decision to join the Army and lead troops in Iraq, and the entire country is fortunate that he served previously in the House and now the Senate. I share Asquared’s general skepticism about politicians; I think most of them, even those with whom I disagree philosophically, enter politics with good intentions. I think they almost always want to offer their experience, skill, and judgment to improve the community, state, and nation. My impression is that most of them, even those with profound conservative perspectives, ultimately get seduced by the power and celebrity of their office. They end up being corrupt, usually through the legal graft that enables them to provide advantages (constituent services) to supporters and benefactors. Miraculously, what they perceive, after this transition, as good for the community coincides precisely with the interests of their supporters, and it also helps them get re-elected. Consequently, government continues to expand, reducing our freedom incrementally and restricting economic activity for millions. I hope Sen. Cotton can resist that “growth.”
I keep saying, this guy should be Mr. America. He seems to be doing a good job of impressing conservatives, but I’m not sure what he can do to widen his appeal.