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Keller @ Large: Grass Isn't Always Greener On Other Side

BOSTON (CBS) - One of my favorite clichés is "the grass is always greener on the other side," based on the notion that no matter how nice your lawn is, your neighbor's lawn always looks better.

It's true in lawns, in relationships, and it's certainly true in politics.

Every so often, voters get tired with the status quo, usually not without good reason, and lunge for that shiny new object that just looks… greener.

And it almost never works out.

That's how you get disasters like Gov. Jesse Ventura of Minnesota or Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California.

I wouldn't call Gov. Deval Patrick a disaster by any means, but his lack of political experience hurt him just as badly as it did Ventura and Schwarzenegger.

At the presidential level, it's even riskier to take out your frustrations this way.

President Obama was a decent man who did some good things, but only sycophants would argue that his lack of legislative experience and skill didn't hamper him and the Democratic Party.

President Trump
President Donald Trump. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

And now it's the Republicans turn, as they reap the bitter harvest of bypassing multiple well-qualified candidates in favor of someone without a shred of what turns out to be relevant experience in managing people or getting legislation passed.

There's a reason why some of the more successful presidents of modern times – Roosevelt, Reagan, Clinton – were all former governors.

And there's good reason why we should always heed the wise advice of that great philosopher, Wicked Wilson Pickett – don't let the green grass fool you.

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