As "Bern Baby Bern" — like all good socialist-themed endeavors – slowly and inevitably finds itself reduced to a simmering ash heap out of a once flourishing flame, the Clinton campaign has now methodically and understandably begun the process of vetting vice presidential candidates for the Democratic ticket. Hillary Clinton will choose former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.
This past Sunday The New York Times – which said the nomination fight is "still fluid" (for the Democrats, it isn't) – reported that Clinton is considering between 15 and 20 potential running mates. In addition to Patrick, the Times suggests, wishfully, that Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren is also among the contenders.
Back in my UMass days, an eccentric Political Science professor of mine once quipped, "In the world of politics there's a '10-90′ rule." The class looked up at him quizzically as he elaborated, "In the world of politics, 10 percent of the issues take 90 percent of the time, and 90 percent of the issues take 10 percent of the time."
His observation has always stayed with me, as it demonstrates the relative inefficiency of government, how government may divert our attention away from meaningful matters in exchange for trivial ones, and how government may secure greater power by propagating these meaningless "10 percent" issues. Nowhere is this phenomenon better personified than in the current debate over transgender bathroom usage.
