To err is human... Alexander Pope

Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do. Benjamin Franklin

If you haven't seen it yet, you will. Last night in a political debate, one of the candidates, Rick Perry, drew a blank when trying to remember a vital point. It wouldn't have been so bad, but the moment went on and on. One of the commentators made it worse by laughing and asking if he really couldn't remember his point. When he couldn't, the commentator and the audience laughed. It was a genuine YouTube moment.

This morning, the news shows were still talking about this serious blunder. Most of the serious experts called in to comment on this serious matter were all in serious agreement: Rick Perry's run for the Presidency is over.

Seriously?

Now, I don't want you to get me wrong - this particular candidate is not my first choice for President. He is, however, the Governor of my state and I have voted for him on more than one occasion. If he runs for Governor again, I will probably vote for him again, but I simply have another preference for President in this election.

So the point of this little article is not to endorse or defend my choice for President - it's just to make this observation: If America has come to point that a man cannot make a mistake because it is not cool (and we like cool people), then we are in trouble. If we are primarily looking for smooth orators, one only has to go back to the late 1930's and see how well that worked out for Germany. In my opinion, you don't have to go back that far to realize that "smooth" and "cool" do not always equate to great leadership.

I believe that all Americans should be deeply concerned that we are becoming a nation that lives for the next embarrassing moment so that we can post it on YouTube or send it in to America's Funniest Home Videos or put it on some sick reality show so that we can laugh about other people's mistakes and feel superior about our own shortcomings.

It seems that the greatest sin in our nation today is to not look cool, (or to be associated with someone who does not look cool). It may be time that we all start looking a bit more at what people stand for, than at how well they deliver slogans under pressure. If our society is devolving into a people who live for the next big "gotcha moment", then we may be in bigger trouble than anyone had previously imagined.

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? - Jesus (as recorded in Matthew 7:3, NIV)