Honesty, truthfulness, telling the "whole" story, justifying change of heart, altering the big picture, trying to change the narrative, avoidance of an issue, slanted positions, "little white lies" and outright falsehoods: I mention these things because they all have to do with the pressure that any President of the United States faces. Obviously some try more earnestly to stay true than others to themselves and their God while being as honest as possible with their public constituents, but some clearly see their mission to be one of ideology and "to hell" with the truth as long as they can accomplish what they deem necessary. And there's a lot of in-between. And I bring this up because I think the question of honesty in a President becomes a serious problem just by the nature of the beast. Let me explain.
Let's start by looking at the picture of the old, sometimes spooky looking building, that is pictured above. It is the Executive Office Building, the building in which much of the work of an Administration is conducted. It is where most of the policy wonks and brain trust folks labor to try and please their boss. And herein starts the problem. Ambitious staffers want to do anything to please their boss and in doing so they usually become "yes" men or women, meaning that they are more concerned with their leader's view of them than they are with truth. Oh, there are exceptions, but normally they don't hold up too well because the central supporting figures will do all they can to insulate the President from any adversity. The President then becomes the least likely person in America to really understand what America really wants and his handlers like to keep it that way. It is their way to control the narrative and the mission.
Then there are the lobbyists who in effect become funding sources for political campaigns. Politics is what they are created for, the politics of a specific cause or viewpoint that will use money to gain access and with it cause a well meaning President to compromise his positions and values. It's not necessarily that a President wants to do this, it's just that to keep the money flowing, and politics takes big money, he sometimes has to bend significantly all-the-while trying to project an image of his original campaign self. And remember, this starts long before the election; it starts with the tedious planning of the original campaign and it continues throughout the period of office. And even later, to maintain the legacy impact desired, it really never stops.
To make matters even worse, the same situation exists with all elected officials, just not on quite as grand a scale as presidential politics. Today even some House contests cost the successful candidate in the millions and I assure you that most of the money being spent is not from their personal finances. And then, once elected, these officeholders, be they Congressmen, Senators, or even the President, pressure one another in group sessions which often become a cross between a mob and a pressure cooker.
So what is the effect of all of this Well, it means that a leader who started out firm in his strength and values must, by the very nature of the political process, become very watered down and compromised. Now sometimes this is a good thing, as I think in the case of Obamacare where a dogmatic President is being forced to modify his position, but in other cases it is not so good, as when Reagan was stuck with outlandish budgets because he had to give and take to get much of his important work through Congress. When you are a minority President with the opposition controlling Congress, that's just the way things are. At the same time, however, a divided Congress can keep things from sometimes going to far.
So what can we do to try and make things better? Well, the only thing we can do is to carefully evaluate candidates for office, review their past record and their belief system, and try and support candidates who have shown courage, conviction, honor and belief in God. And while they will have to compromise their values from time to time, they will be less likely to "give away the store" of their soul than a candidate with no strong moral structure or working track record. When the next election cycle comes around, think about this, do your homework to become better informed, and pray for the right personal decision. He will help you and in turn America will be a better place.
God bless you all and thank Him every morning for the opportunity to live another day.
Let's start by looking at the picture of the old, sometimes spooky looking building, that is pictured above. It is the Executive Office Building, the building in which much of the work of an Administration is conducted. It is where most of the policy wonks and brain trust folks labor to try and please their boss. And herein starts the problem. Ambitious staffers want to do anything to please their boss and in doing so they usually become "yes" men or women, meaning that they are more concerned with their leader's view of them than they are with truth. Oh, there are exceptions, but normally they don't hold up too well because the central supporting figures will do all they can to insulate the President from any adversity. The President then becomes the least likely person in America to really understand what America really wants and his handlers like to keep it that way. It is their way to control the narrative and the mission.
Then there are the lobbyists who in effect become funding sources for political campaigns. Politics is what they are created for, the politics of a specific cause or viewpoint that will use money to gain access and with it cause a well meaning President to compromise his positions and values. It's not necessarily that a President wants to do this, it's just that to keep the money flowing, and politics takes big money, he sometimes has to bend significantly all-the-while trying to project an image of his original campaign self. And remember, this starts long before the election; it starts with the tedious planning of the original campaign and it continues throughout the period of office. And even later, to maintain the legacy impact desired, it really never stops.
To make matters even worse, the same situation exists with all elected officials, just not on quite as grand a scale as presidential politics. Today even some House contests cost the successful candidate in the millions and I assure you that most of the money being spent is not from their personal finances. And then, once elected, these officeholders, be they Congressmen, Senators, or even the President, pressure one another in group sessions which often become a cross between a mob and a pressure cooker.
So what is the effect of all of this Well, it means that a leader who started out firm in his strength and values must, by the very nature of the political process, become very watered down and compromised. Now sometimes this is a good thing, as I think in the case of Obamacare where a dogmatic President is being forced to modify his position, but in other cases it is not so good, as when Reagan was stuck with outlandish budgets because he had to give and take to get much of his important work through Congress. When you are a minority President with the opposition controlling Congress, that's just the way things are. At the same time, however, a divided Congress can keep things from sometimes going to far.
So what can we do to try and make things better? Well, the only thing we can do is to carefully evaluate candidates for office, review their past record and their belief system, and try and support candidates who have shown courage, conviction, honor and belief in God. And while they will have to compromise their values from time to time, they will be less likely to "give away the store" of their soul than a candidate with no strong moral structure or working track record. When the next election cycle comes around, think about this, do your homework to become better informed, and pray for the right personal decision. He will help you and in turn America will be a better place.
God bless you all and thank Him every morning for the opportunity to live another day.
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