Filed under: Politicians, Politics | Tags: election season, politicians, politics
When it comes to election time, I’m a confirmed cynic. I have lived and watched political elections my entire life. I have come to the conclusion that you should only believe half of what a candidate says about himself, and 10% of what he says about his opponent.
Political ads drive me crazy. They are full of so much fiction that it is a wonder anyone believes them. I have watched the truth be twisted for so many years that election season is my least favorite time of the year. One small mistake and a whole career can be ruined by opponents who will twist that mistake into titanic proportions.
Oh, I do still enjoy politics. What I enjoy about it is the planning for the future. I love great ideas and huge plans for change. I have shaken hands with presidents, governors, senators and representatives. I have sat in their offices and listened to them dream. Pressing the flesh and dreaming big is a great part of politics. But come election time it all turns ugly.
So here’s my advice to you as you vote. If someone said something bad about a candidate, do not believe it. If the candidate himself sounds too good to be true, he or she is. Accept that you are going to elect a scoundrel, or a weakling, almost surely one who bends the truth to fit his audience. Yes, there are a few good politicians out there, but even they need to be watched. Your job does not finish with the election.
The most important thing you can do is visiting elected officials after they take office. There you can influence the future. Electing a person to office means little, it is what you do after they are elected that matters.
Michael
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