Hate to sound like a politician here but the answer is yes and no....to a degree.
If a candidate smoked a blunt last week at the end of a fundraiser - Big problem
If a candidate smoked a blunt 25 years ago at the end of a football game - No problem
The rub is that too many people can not differentiate between these two acts.
People expect way too much from these candidates....and have absolutely no concept about what makes someone great at their job.
I'll use sports handicapping as an example....
Do you want to work with a guy who has never played a sport, has never been in a casino, has never played 25 games in a weekend, has never opened up multiple accounts to access the best lines, has never paid for information the public can't get, and/or never told his bookie a humongous lie to ensure that he is able to keep his account open for another week???
Or would you rather take advice from a handicapper that has learned his craft from the ground level, is battle tested and has the scars to prove it, has lost more money than you'll ever make, has tried every single way to make a dishonest living and has finally found a proven method of success in a world full of snakes and sharks???
Give me the guy with the scars and the fat bankroll instead of the Boy Scout who still lives with his parents.
I want a politician with balls, a guy that has negotiated billion dollar deals and then smoked a victory cigar. I want a politician who has sat across the table from titans of industry and has a poker face that makes the other guy shit his pants. I want a politician who knows what's it like to work your ass off all week and then look at your check only to see that 1/3 of what you made went to taxes. I want a politician who knows the difference between right and wrong because he's been on both sides of that fence.
The problem is that the guy I want exists....they are everywhere....but they can't get elected!!
People won't vote for the RIGHT guy, they'll only vote for the CLEANEST guy. That's a huge mistake, and a sad commentary on the people that vote these squeaky clean candidates into office and then complain because nothing gets done.
Carpe Diem -
Joe D