Candidates providing too much of the wrong information

The new campaign trend is for candidates to bare their souls, diseases, past relationships and other intimate details to the public, the New York Times reported recently. In some cases, the purpose is to “come clean” before the media blow things out of proportion. In others, the purpose is to make the candidate seem more like regular folks who have problems.
Franklin Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy went to great pains (literally) to conceal their poor health. Now, it seems that health problems and family trauma can earn the candidate sympathy votes.
But instead of debating a candidate’s past pot smoking in college or failed marriage, we should be asking what kind of skills he has to lead us into a peaceful and prosperous future.
Posted by Patrice Hein

3 Comments

  1. GSheridan
    Posted April 24, 2007 at 4:57 am | Permalink

    A leopard doesn’t change its spots.

    If a person has a dubious past – that is an indicator that they might not be the perfect candidate to represent the citizens NOW.

    People are willing to overlook minor infractions for the most part, but if a candidate has been involved in harder drugs than marijuana, has ‘fudged’ on previous accounts of accomplishments, or has been involved in shady operations at ANY time – it offers us a glimpse at what’s behind their current political goals.

    Since politicians aren’t known for their honesty – sometimes all we can REALLY base our vote upon – is the way they have handled themselves in the past.

    POlitics is a dirty game – but sweeping the details under the rug, isn’t going to clean it up.

  2. political_mom
    Posted April 24, 2007 at 10:12 am | Permalink

    I think the slaughter is sometimes warranted, sometimes not. Some skeletons are relevant while others are not.

    Smoking pot and using drugs in the past not that much of a big deal.

    MOST of whatever happened in the past can be forgiven if there has been hard work in changing, and people naturally evolve. But some who continuously treated women poorly, or have said multiple racist things, those things can tell someone’s mindset. Most people learn from their mistakes and others just can’t seem to figure it out.

    Give me someone who has learned from their mistakes any day over someone who hasn’t.

  3. Sanford
    Posted April 24, 2007 at 11:44 am | Permalink

    “But some who continuously treated women poorly,”

    Like Bill Clinton did? I didn’t see NOW or any other Womens org berate him for his LONG history.