Let me be clear: I have nothing against Cynthia Nixon. She was great as Miranda in “Sex & the City,” both the HBO series and the films that followed. A tough-talking corporate lawyer with an occasional tender turn –who can forget when she lovingly bathed her dementia-addled mother in law?—Miranda was my favorite of Manhattan’s four fancies.
But that doesn’t mean she should run for governor of New York. The actress turned politician will be on the ballot in November if she can beat incumbent Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary in September. Maybe Cuomo, whose TV presence pales in comparison to Nixon’s, should consider a turn on “American Ninja Warrior’s” warped wall.
Or not.
If we’ve learned anything from the debacle that is the Trump presidency it should be this: Just because someone appears frequently on TV, it doesn’t mean they are in any way qualified to hold elected office.
I don’t want to live in a world where ANYONE can be a major player in the government. I’m talking to you, Secretary of State Kylie Jenner.
The problem comes when fame is confused with ability. It doesn’t help when life blurs the lines. When Arnold Schwarzenegger was a governor of California back in 2004, he unselfishly plunged into the ocean to save a swimmer in distress, bringing him back to safety. Who among us didn’t first think: “Well done Governor Terminator!”
When the late Fred Thompson, U.S. Senator from Tennessee best known for his role as conservative District Attorney Arthur Branch on “Law & Order” took office, voters were heard to say he would most certainly be tough on crime. Why were they so sure? Because, well, remember how in Episode 428 he crushed that drug overlord and all his flunkies? Dah-dum.
Oddly, Cynthia Nixon’s Miranda might actually hurt her in her quest for the governor’s mansion. Miranda was always dead last in popularity among the four stars of “Sex & the City.” She was the Midge among the Barbies, viewed as too cynical and opinionated. Also mean people said her hair was too short.
In a culture that is increasingly obsessed with becoming famous, whether it’s from doing makeup tutorials on YouTube or just marrying the closest Duggar, we need to proceed with caution. After all, I’m old enough to remember “Fonzie for President” bumper stickers. Heeeeyyyyy.
Truth is, I like many of “Miranda’s” positions on various issues. She’s a progressive, which is no surprise. Remember how angry and motivated she was after she was rejected when trying to buy her first apartment simply because she didn’t have a husband? No, wait. Cynthia Nixon didn’t do that; Miranda Hobbes did. I heart Miranda. Cynthia Nixon? She might make a terrific governor of a state I don’t live in.
You could argue that famous people have just as much right as anyone to run for office but then I would just have to point at Trump and say: “What hath TV wrought”? And I’d be right.