Leave Joe out of it, vote for the elite

Election Day is getting closer, and voters have a lot to think about such as tax increases proposed by both sides, a crashing economy, and apparently for some, finding a candidate that hunts moose and keeps an eye on Russia, like the average American.

This election, the pandering from both parties to middle class voters, has become insulting. It implies that the average American can't make an informed choice based on the issues. Americans don't need folksy stories about the candidates' past. No one cares if the candidate takes the train to work every day, only that once they're there, they do their job.

Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin claims to be in touch with the average American because her and her family spent most of their lives in middle America (Alaska). This folksy, I could have a beer with them, appeal is not new. It was, in fact, the appeal our current president ran on in 2000, and again in 2004.

His approval rating is currently at 25 percent according to Fox News.

Some voters are really attracted to this folksy image. They feel like the candidate will better serve their interests. History shows us that a folksy president without experience is really just someone who's bad at the job, but who seems like a really nice guy.

The president and the vice president shouldn't be someone voters could hang out with. (Except for Dick Cheney, who seems like he'd be fun at a party.) This is one of those positions where elitism doesn't hurt. The president should be smarter than most Americans.

By all means, vote for anyone that appeals to the political platforms you agree with. Don't vote for someone because they shop at Home Depot, or grew up in a single parent home.

Joe Sixpack lacks the leadership skills to run the free world. In fact, Joe Sixpack is grossly under-qualified to hold any political office.

Besides being a fictitious character, he is decidedly average, performs badly when forced to interact with the media, and isn't sure if he believes that global warming is caused by man. Smart, above average people, whose names don't imply that they have a drinking problem, should be running the country, gosh darn it!