Prophetic quote from HL Mencken in 1920 (from William Gibson’s weblog):
“…the larger the mob, the harder the test. In small areas, before small
electorates, the first-rate man occasionally fights his way through,
carrying even the mob with him by force of his personality. But when the
field is nationwide…the force of personality cannot so readily make
itself felt, then all the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the
most devious and mediocre… The presidency tends, year by year, to go to
such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more
closely, the inner soul of the people… On some great and glorious day the
plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the
White House will be adorned by a moron.”
–H.L. Mencken, writing in The Baltimore Evening Sun, July 26, 1920
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