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Published On: Mon, Feb 27th, 2017

Why Can’t Politicians Be as Honest as the Pope?

When a politician opens his or her mouth, do you believe what comes out of it?

For millions of people around the globe, the answer to that question is more times than not a resounding no.

Whether they are in office, running for office, maybe even contemplating running for office one day, countless politicians for better or worse end up getting a bad rap in the public. When this happens, they then have to twice the work in order to sell their policies and overall intentions to the people.

That said many politicians do in fact try to be as honest as possible with the public.

Sure, the public may not like what a politician has to say, but he or she is just trying to put the truth out there. When the news is especially dire (budgetary, lost jobs etc.) the response from much of the public can be overwhelmingly bad.

So, if you were managing the campaign of a politician for local, state, even national office, what advice would you give them moving forward?

In some cases, you might tell them to just level with the folks, and maybe do a little praying too.

photo/ donkeyhotey

Give the People the Truth

As the first few weeks of the Trump Administration in Washington, D.C. has shown, the term “fake news” is getting heard over and over again. So, do you believe that much of what reporters are saying about the 45th President and his incoming staff is real or fake?

The answer to that question typically lies with whether you support Trump or not.

If you don’t back him and his plans for the U.S., you undoubtedly believe just about anything the media is saying these days. On the flip side, pro-Trump backers are likely as tired of what they deem “fake news” and the media as they were of Hillary Clinton. From Trump’s efforts to get his cabinet in place to his recent Supreme Court nominee, nothing for the most part has gone smoothly for the chief executive.

Last fall in Vatican City, Pope Francis speaking to bishops noted, “The world is tired of charming liars, and I might say, of ‘trendy’ priests or ‘trendy’ bishops.” If Pope Francis could speak of politicians, would he say the same thing too?

Unfortunately, many politicians (on both sides of the aisle, along with those running behind parties of lesser prominence) only say what they think voters want to hear. This is especially the case when the months and weeks draw nearer to election time.

In one well-known case, how many people remember former President Barack Obama telling voters that if they liked their doctors and their health insurance plans, they could certainly keep them?

As it turned out some 6 million individuals lost their health insurance plans by the end of 2013. That was less than two years after Obama was re-elected. Keep in mind that re-election was in part the result of his “promise” that many wouldn’t lose their health plans etc.

Are Voters Draining the Swamp?

If you followed last year’s heated U.S. Presidential election between Trump and Clinton you oftentimes times heard about “Draining the Swamp” in Washington, D.C.

After years (literally decades) of politicians on both sides of the aisle becoming entrenched and quite frankly ineffective in D.C., many voters said enough was enough.

Not only did they elect a man who was best-known for being a billionaire businessman and a reality TV show figure, but they said goodbye to a number of politicians in local and state elections. In essence, voters were ready to drain the swamp.

Fast-forward a few months later and some are questioning whether in fact the swamp will truly be drained.

As part of his speech to bishops back in September, Pope Francis also noted, “People can ‘smell’ it — the people of God have God’s nose. People can ‘smell’ it and they move away when they see narcissists, manipulators, defenders of their own causes, and bandits of vain crusades.” Pope Francis would go on to urge them instead to make their ministry an “icon of mercy, the only force capable of permanently seducing and attracting man’s heart.”

In order for politicians (including President Trump) to attract the hearts of millions nationwide, they will have to level with the folks.

Yes, honesty is something that seems to have been in short supply these last few decades in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere in state capitals and local governments.

The question now becomes, who exactly will level with the folks?

Author: Dave Thomas

photo donkeyhotey [email protected]

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