Stephen Yeargin

Our current political climate often evokes comparisons to Idiocracy, the 2006 satire written by Mike Judge, also of Office Space fame. The movie starts with the premise that smart, successful people are having fewer kids, while ignorant folks are reproducing at a much faster rate. Fast forward over 500 years, and the population is entirely made up of the latter category. Society has descended into commercialized chaos, and basic functions seem to have broken down entirely.

Without diving too deep into the plot, the protagonist finds himself thrust into the hands of the future United States President Dwayne Camacho, who, along with his bumbling Cabinet, struggles to solve the crisis of crop failures, clearly caused by watering plants with a sports drink.

This is where most people draw their comparisons to current American politics.

• The supposed average voter tends to be less educated and more susceptible to disinformation.^[1]
• Popularity has eclipsed character and qualifications as the key trait for elected leaders.
• Many politicians seem more focused on delaying issues until the next election cycle rather than tackling them head-on.
• Corporate interests have an outsized influence on policy, and daily life feels increasingly shaped by commercial forces.
• An ecological crisis can be directly attributed to said corporate interests.^[2]

While it's easy to think Idiocracy depicts our inevitable future, I'd argue that some aspects of it are downright aspirational.

Here's why.

President Camacho is far from perfect. He's not bright, quick to anger, doesn't seem to grasp the weight of his office, and his Cabinet is as unqualified as they come -- probably couldn't even organize a bake sale, let alone run the country.

But, in spite of his flaws, I argue he has some remarkably admirable traits.

When faced with a crisis, he immediately recognizes the problem's magnitude and made it a priority of his administration to fix it. He seeks out the smartest person alive to propose solutions. He grants that person the autonomy and resources necessary to complete their task. He publicly backs their ideas with confidence and support. While his impatience and impulsiveness does lead to a few missteps,^[3] he owns up to them and makes the necessary corrections -- while also giving credit where it's due. He uses his skill as an entertainer to calm the nerves of an anxious nation.

We're never given a reason to question President Camacho's character. He's not a racist, and he's humble enough to admit his mistakes. He genuinely cares about the country and is committed to using his position to lead it through tough times to eventual prosperity. He trusts expert opinion, even when he lacks the capacity to understand what they are telling him. Above all, he's a man of the people who doesn't exploit his power for personal gain. As best we can tell, he doesn't want his name put on any buildings.

Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho is among the greatest Presidents we never had, and Idiocracy might be an aspirational tale.