David McElroy

When I saw Ryan Friday evening, I knew he was upset. He was just getting to work, but he looked beaten and angry. He sat down to tell me his story.

Ryan’s a young guy who went to buy a car Friday. He took slightly more than $2,000 to a dealership to buy a car that costs about $10,000. After test driving the car and agreeing to a price, he filled out all the paperwork — only to be told at the end that he didn’t make enough money, even though he works full time and has a good record.

He was hurt and angry. It wasn’t just that he needed a car. He felt that he had done everything he’s been told he’s supposed to do as a young adult in this society, but he’s not finding the opportunities he expected — and he’s hearing “no” often enough that he’s getting frustrated. And his frustration is turning to anger.

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We don’t see traveling men selling snake oil as a cure-all anymore, but we still see plenty of people peddling it. The hucksters no longer drive from town to town in wagons. They appear on television and ask us to elect them president.

It’s no surprise that politicians tell lies. We talked Thursday about the fact that they’re just following the incentives the voters give them. The more interesting question is why people believe the claims. My view is that they believe because believing the fantasy is easier than confronting the truth.

The latest snake oil to catch my attention is a scheme to balance the federal budget that’s become popular among the Republican presidential candidates. It’s called “Lean Six Sigma,” and at least six GOP candidates (or recently dropped out candidates) fell victim to the goofy ploy.

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I never had any heroes when I was growing up. Most kids idolize a parent or teacher or somebody. I realized today that the closest I’ve ever come to seeing someone as a hero is Steve Jobs. That’s why his sudden resignation from Apple Wednesday left me with a lump in my throat.

Jobs is a polarizing figure. Most people who are familiar with him and his work either love him or hate him. He doesn’t give much room for middle ground, because he has strong opinions, a strong vision for how things ought to be, and an apparent internal need to stamp his vision on the world around him.

“I want to put a ding in the universe,” he said long ago.

Jobs could be a jerk to work for when he was young. He was arrogant, mean-spirited and rude. He mellowed a lot with maturity, but he was still too strong for some people’s tastes. I see him as a terribly flawed but wildly talented visionary genius. If I could find a way to emulate a tenth of what he’s accomplished, I’d be very happy with my earthly success.

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