Instant Candidates: Not the Best Way to Choose Our Leaders

A year ago, it was quite common to find New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg mentioned together in news reports since Zuckerberg had just donated $100 million to the state’s largest school system.

One year later, the two men once again were in the news at the same time – Christie because of yet another increase in speculation that he may run for national office; Zuckerberg because of changes to Facebook that irked many of the social network’s 800 million active users.

This year’s news stories are about the two distinct topics, but there is a connection, albeit an indirect one.

Among the Facebook changes are features that provide for faster sharing of information. This is a sign of the times in which we live. We want our news and information instantly, whether it’s the White House press corps reporting on the president or a text message with word that your sister has just had a healthy baby boy.

Will Obama’s Unconventional Approach Prove Successful?

Barack Obama did not become President of the United States by conventional means.

And if he is re-elected to a second term in 2012, it won’t be by conventional means either.

This became apparent this week when he reached agreement with congressional Republicans to extend Bush-era tax cuts for households earning more than $250,000.