Let’s look at what “moral politicians” are like. In a previous post, we looked at immoral politicians. People like Gingrich, Livingston, Hastert and Trump who are self-righteous and critical, all the while harboring deep sins of their own.
What Are Moral Politicians, Anyway?
A moral politician is someone who demonstrates a clear understanding of right and wrong. They show this understanding in their own lives as well as in their professional dealings with others.
Too often, the general public defines a moral politician as a perfect person. If this is the standard definition, then moral politicians don’t exist. The Republican Party proudly touts a family-values political platform but has chosen Trump as their candidate, though he’s on his third wife and cheated on his first two. Plus, he and they avoid the topic. They pretend he’s “great”, dishonestly hiding his foibles. Meanwhile, they exaggerate Hillary’s few mistakes, demonize her, and support a hugely dishonest smear campaign.
On the issues, I have preferences, but put them aside for PeopleCount. On the political spectrum, I tend to lean left, but I like a lot of the conservative principles. On the presidential candidates, I want competence and workability. I like what NoLabels.org says, I want problem-solvers.
The Kind Of Politician We Really Need
There are no perfect people to run our country, contrary to what hollywood sometimes shows us. One of the most important qualities for a politician to have is humility. Sure, I’d love to think we have a great leader. And I like feeling that they’ll deliver great results. But it never happens. The best leaders are the ones who are humble.
If a candidate is focused on painting a glorious image, they’re forced to hide the imperfect truth. They’re forced to lie. Reporters then have a duty to challenge them and they end up being defensive and combative instead of forthcoming. They end up being secretive and manipulative, weakening the ability for others to help them succeed, not our citizens, not the press, nor the other branches of government.
We need politicians in office who admit their flaws- early and often. I don’t want them to proudly flaunt those flaws as if they’re desirable qualities. Owning up to past mistakes is a lot different than justifying them.
What’s needed from citizens
We shouldn’t hold our lawmakers to impossible moral standards. But we should demand honesty. Especially after an election, we should accept errors so our leaders aren’t motivated to hide the truth, defend poor decisions, or stick resolutely to failing policies.
We should let go of our unrealistic expectations of politicians. Or we’ll find ourselves repeatedly voting for the wrong ones, like Bush whose failed policies cost America and the world dearly. And then we demonize those who are willing to compromise and work with others, like Obama. I’m tired of leaders who promise everything, then fight others and make no progress, like those in the Republican congress who shut down the government. I’m tired of politicians justifying lousy results and blaming others.
What I want
I want leaders who have lofty goals but promise to find realistic solutions. I want honesty, not bragging. I want them to work with others to move the country forward. I want them to quickly admit mistakes, so they can end or change programs that aren’t working.
And on issues, I want them to be accountable to us, the people. I want them to know what we want, and to tell us. And to tell us how their solutions fit what we want. I want openness not just in attitude, but in action.