I thought of this a few week ago and thought I’d share and then — didn’t.

Two of the key things you’ll hear Republican officials prating about are “Common Sense” and “Personal Responsibility.” I’ve always wondered about this, because they’ve always seemed singularly insensible and irresponsible to me (not that the other party doesn’t have its moments,) but I’ve finally figured out what they mean.

“Common Sense” in this case isn’t the battery of knowledge that each one of us believes everyone ought to have at their command. Rather, it’s the belief that one posesses this battery of knowledge, and that therefore every decision they make is sound. This, of course, is nonsense, but it explains how Rep. Doc Hastings can claim to bring Common Sense to Congress.

“Personal Responsibility” in this case is the absence of social responsibility. If society is responsible for nothing, then the person is responsible for everything. Thus why this concept gets brought out every time someone mentions something society ought to take responsibility for.

So “Common Sense” isn’t like sense, and “Personal Responsibility” means not doing their jobs. That might be why I don’t usually vote for these people.