Substance vs. Bravado

When I worked as a technical trainer at a government college early in my career, I was responsible for writing a correspondence course that had an annual enrollment of 400-1000 participants. I had a partner who was supposed to be sharing the workload, but he actually ended up writing about five of the twenty plus lessons. Instead he devoted most of his time to networking and once told me that he couldn't spend all day sitting at a desk writing like I did.

My co-worker was rewarded for his networking efforts by getting a plum posting in Brussels, and he later became a director in international affairs in Ottawa. The last time I saw him before I retired, he told me--without any sense of irony--that his fellow directors had suggested he revive the correspondence course, which was no longer being offered by the technical college, on a consulting basis.

I was reminded of this recently when I viewed a CNN article on Trump-Clinton debate preparations. Clinton is preparing for the debates reviewing legislative briefs. She's most comfortable talking policy, is sometimes an awkward speaker, and will never set any barns on fire. But she's sincere and has a strong sense of social responsibility.

Trump, on the other hand, is the alpha-male and consummate performer. He's preparing for the debates by lunching at one of his many golf resorts with his informal "advisors" (one of whom has several charges of sexual harassment against him and the other is a master of race- and sex-baiting headlines) as he hones his one-line zingers. Meanwhile an aide to the Republican presidential nominee says that Trump is viewing the debate as a Wrestlemania.

Let's hope that Clinton's intelligence and substance will win out against Trump's ignorant bravado in the upcoming debates.

Then I'll know that I shouldn't have felt somewhat ashamed so long ago because I chose to sit at my desk and work.