Let's forget Left and Right for a moment. Populism can and does arise from both. My concern is that, as citizens, we seek out, encourage, and vote for candidates who are more intelligent, skillful, and better than we are. Just feeling comfortable having a beer with them is a misguided criterion of excellence. We need leaders whom we admire and respect because they are exceptional, not leaders who are cosily "like us." We need leaders who can speak in whole sentences and entire paragraphs, who can grasp complex situations in milliseconds, have integrity, and enter public service unselfishly. The recent US election showed that both parties scraped up candidates whom few could admire for their genius at leadership. What we need, Left and Right, are better candidates everywhere and at every level. We need the best, the wisest, and the most outstanding among us as our representatives -- not Mr and Ms Congeniality. Politics is not a popularity contest; it is a gravely important enterprise.