2005
Occasional #6

In the season of sharing, have I sent you a gift, ?? No? Well, here it is. Data for your mental file as you get ready to meet the onslaught of candidates' campaigns in 2006.

Ten candidate lines you should NOT trust:

10. “I am more pro-America than my opponent." ‘Twas the leading line of Duke Cunningham, who was willing to sell out “American” (U. S., really) interests if he got paid enough. After saying, “John Kerry will depreciate our intelligence services in a time of war” he sold out intelligence support to one of the companies that bribed him. How many lives did that cost?

9. “The only reason he says this is to be politically correct.” Being ‘politically correct’ is not the politically correct thing to do nowadays. If being over the top p.c. is the argument, for example, against a women's rights issue, it is probably the only (pathetic) argument the candidate has. Sadly, using the label has proven to be an easy vote-getter.

8. “Family values are threatened by my opponent.” (Many ways of saying that.) Baloney. I would challenge any candidate who implies that to name one leader who opposes family values, does not want a moral society, does not care about holding families together, or does not see a connection between personal values and the way our country goes.

7. “My opponent is against the best interests of our country.” False on the face of it, but it was the opening line of one Richard Nixon when he first ran for public office in California. He won, even though there were many who noted he was tipping his hand on his lack in integrity.

6. Whispering in your ear sweet words like “I will work for the Blue Skies Act.” That was the name of the Act to clean up our air. The Act actually lowered air quality standards, but you will never learn that from the candidates--unless they think you can make a buck from it.

5. “The senators/congress/legislators are too spineless to do the right thing.” I cannot think of a single case in the legislature where that is true. When you can't get the legislature to do what you want, that line sounds bold, making you a true leader. One of my favorites: we were accused by letter writers of being too spineless to oppose wasteful spending. That would take spine? You better have your facts straight, but it is highly popular to expose lack of integrity, no matter how hot the hotshot.

4. “It is limiting free speech to complain about how much I spend on my campaign.” There is not much free about ‘free’ speech that was bought for a million bucks. Public complaints about it are one of the remaining clear expressions of free speech.

3. (Pick one): Equal rights - Equal access - Nondiscrimination -- favors (pick one): Hispanics - Africans - women - gays - elderly - low income persons.

2. “My opponent lacks integrity.” (Said in several different ways) Said by those who lack integrity themselves. Takes one to know one? No. You do not have to be a criminal to recognize crime. Rather, we project our anxieties, fears and sins on others. I discovered, in the process of life and legislating: my integrity is key to what I have going for me -- in home, family, community, legislature. Lose your integrity and the rest of you is so diminished as to lack punch when you really do care about what you say.

1 1/2. “This is a Christian country.” The person saying that is either naive - which is unlikely for a candidate - or “pulling the eagle's tail” as my debate coach would say. (She graded one letter down anytime a student used a line like “I love America.” Saying a grand word for Christianity is .... pulling the bell rope? Gilding a halo? If the person understands and means it, there has to be a definition of which kind of Christian we are talking about. Christians range from those who want Palestinians killed so that Israel is triumphant so that the end of the world can come - to those who think God does not love you if you are not born again - to those who seek to live out Jesus' most-used instruction to his followers: care for the poor. These are often mutually exclusive, as when you have an unsaved Palestinian who is poor.

1. “I will cut taxes.” On the face of it, not true, as no one person can do that. Not even the President. Or governor. Or mayor. Public costs go up. Most state and local budgets have very little fat. Some have none. The Feds have fat, but really do not want to give it up. Our big state bills, like corrections, health care and education, are underfunded and will not be reduced.

This line is to be distinguished from carefully honed language, as “I will look for ways to cut expenses and gain new efficiencies.” Every elected official should do that all the time, so it is honest and a good reminder. If we do not fight to hold down taxes we will be swamped.

Another added comment regards tax rates vs. tax receipts. Carving a bit off of rates while increasing the budget in anticipation of increased receipts is NOT a real tax cut. • • • • •

You are welcome. Please be seated.

Editing these thoughts reminds me we should always be wary of absolutes, such as ‘every person with health care’ or ‘no child left behind.’ Exceptions are the rule. “No child Left Behind” began in the 90s as a goal - what we should strive for. That is a legitimate use. Also legitimate is rhetoric that challenges us, such as: every American should be respected, have health care or receive a quality education. It is the promise to fully reach that goal which is suspect.

Absolutes come in many forms. A dangerous one, in public discussion, was the absolutist call to arms to get tough on crime, throw away the key, etc. Absolutist hype has never worked for long and cannot. In this case, it fills jails, takes money away from prevention, makes the public more angry and causes a loss of respect for the law. When we question absolutes we can talk about the solution, gain more insights and develop a better public consensus -- which has more effect on crime than any other factor.

Whoa. Time to stop. I am preaching to the choir. However, I am so frustrated that we will not say out loud what we know to be true.

I know to be true that God will bless us this coming year, and will bless us more if we share our thoughts and values with each other. May we help it be so.

Lowen