I was listening to some American journalists
talking about the Presidential candidates.
And I can't help wondering (talking about
role models) - what do Americans think of
their current candidates?

For that matter - what do Australian voters
think of the ones they have?

I think the choice for Australians is a better one
than it is for the Americans.
I could be wrong.

Hi JAYB; RUNNER & LOUDMOUTH...

You're right Joe, folk of my Dad's era were hero's to be sure. We were dirt poor, but my parents would go without to ensure there was bread 'n butter on the table. And selfish bastards like myself, would invariably whinge because they'd gently censure me over the large quantity of butter I'd put on my bread, and butter was horridly expensive in those days, so much so Mum attempted to make a lb go for the whole week, resorting to margarine for our sandwich's. And of course I knew everything about everything, and couldn't be told anything!

I do wonder now, what my poor quietly spoken Dad thought of his only son? An arrogant, argumentative know all. On reflection I think the last straw that ultimately broke his heart, was when I joined the police. To him at least, it was probably a manifestation of his own failure as a parent. For his son had inexplicable transformed into a social pariah by becoming a despised copper.

Indeed JAYB your Dad was not unlike mine, independent, tried to repair and build everything himself, all the while carefully watching and grooming you, on many of life's more important skills, that you'll ultimately need, in order to succeed, a bit further down the track.

A politician RUNNER, past or present - someone you'd like and respect, as a thoroughly good role model? Somehow, I don't think so!
Most certainly there's none one in the police I'd identify as a suitable Role Model neither. True, we do have a few bona fide hero's for sure, but none who'd make a good Role Model and all that entails?

In hindsight, the greatest service I could've done for the fine people of NSW, was when I ultimately retired from the police force altogether. As that pivotal time inexorably approached, my moods, my tolerance, and my temper, were all swiftly diminishing, as was my sense of fair play! Consequently my dear Dad, would've been so very proud of his fundamentally flawed, dubious character, of a son?

I think we sometimes confuse role models, those we wish to imitate. with those we admire, Mother Teresa was greatly admired,no doubt about that, but hardly a role model for others to follow, millions have not raced off to the slums of Calcutta to tend the poor, well not yet.
Role models for me, my dear old mum and dad, worked hard all their lives, raised a family and loved their kids, done their bit providing the best they could, could not have expected anymore than that, call em' good role models.

The other thing that we need to be careful of when dishing out admiration of celebs, is we usually only get to see the public person with their public persona and not the day in, day out, private person with their faults and failings. To give an example, a well known female TV personality. I had the misfortune to witness the most disgusting verbal behavior from this bitch in a Sydney restaurant one Saturday night, because the place was full and she had not booked and their was no table there and then for her. To see her on the telly you wouldn't think butter would melt in her mouth, I got a two minute look at another side of this woman, so did the head waiter, restaurant staff, and the other patrons. It started with "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? and degenerated into lots of F's and worse from a gutter mouth. Not someone I now would admire, the story shocks friends of mine, when retold, they say; I wouldn't believe it of so n' so, she seems so nice on the telly. And she does!

Dear Paul,

You're right.

There are quite a few famous people who've acted not
so admirably at certain times of their lives.
Elton John lost it at an airport. Kevin Rudd in a
plane. Tony Abbott with his "Shyt happens" comment and
the unnecessary comment when Julia Gillard's father died.
Mark Latham with his meltdown. Kim Beazely I met in a shop once
and he used that old line - "Do you know who I am?" and was quite
abnoxious. Proving that all of us have to be careful - we're
all being judged by someone.

Paul,

You wrote: "Mother Teresa was greatly admired, no doubt about that, but hardly a role model for others to follow, millions have not raced off to the slums of Calcutta to tend the poor, well not yet."

Uh .... what ?! Hardly a role model because none of the BS 'left' want to get off their arses and do anything, let alone dedicate their pathetic lives to the sort of work she did ? Or the Elliotts ? Too busy counting your calories, and footsteps, and which concert to go to, or which benefit to apply for ?

Appalling !

Joe

Hi Joe, get off the high horse. I was not having a shot at Mother Teresa, far from it, one of histories greatest human beings. Mother Teresa's qualities of love, kindness and selfless devotion cannot be matched and deserve our highest admiration. Those abstract qualities are worthy for us all. But her physical qualities of tending the poor are not something that many could base their life on.
The point I was making was we may confuse role model with admiration. A young person wanting to succeed at cricket for example, could find no better a role model than Richie Benaud, a man who played the game in the finest traditions of fairness and sportsmanship, both on and off the field. Tennis is a good example of a game where there are great players on the field, but no so great human beings off the field. Great role models for how to play the game, but fail as an example of a good person.

Foxy, thank you for understanding my point. On the political side I have met 4 PM"s in my lifetime. Billy McMahon who I have just criticised on another thread saying Abbott was the worse PM since Billy. Bill easily came across as the most friendly and genuinely warmhearted of the four, a lovely man, but politically not my favorite politician.