Tell Me No Lies

I listened with great interest to the entire one hour and thirty-six minute Presidential Debate last night - and with even greater fascination to the political autopsy and associated commentary which inevitably follows. In the case of the former, my most significant complaint is Where's the BEEF?. In the case of the latter, I'm registering something between irk and fullscale ire on the Gimme a Break Scale regarding recurring assertions that Senator Obama agreed with Senator McCain far too often, citing Obama's multiple assertions that "Senator McCain is right." Political "experts" making this claim maintain that Obama "lost points", (and therefore, political gain) in the debate by agreeing with McCain in numerous instances.

Say what?

Since when has the collective American public so lost its grip on the concepts of logic, reasoning together, and functioning as a democratic society as to regard frankness and honesty in the political arena a vulnerability rather than a remarkable strength? To my stubborn Irish way of thinking... we'd better never.

Political "spin" and flat out deceit, corruption, and bared-fanged partisan one-upmanship have infiltrated and poisoned our Government to the point of comatosed quagmire, the resulting ineffectuality leaving us spinning our wheels in a ditch of massive proportions. Few citizens would dispute this assertion, and far too many resultantly throw up their hands and throw in the towel. Will we allow even the Presidency of this country to become contigent upon who plays the political "game" the best - which candidate can undermine the other most effectively and with the greatest finesse?

We cannot - and I pray to God will not - look upon the coming presidential election as we do some grand finale episode of Survivor, boys and girls. Our country is teetering on the brink of economic disaster... and the myriad of delterious, ripple-affect national security and global standing impacts that entails. At a time when massive nations and major peace agreements are de-stabilizing at an alarming rate, we are economically, defensively, and domestically hovering at two clicks short of empty.

If Obama - or any other political representative who quite possibly may hold our very future in their hands - agrees with an opponent for political office, by all means, tell us so!   If what you believe in is what you hold to be the truth and nothing but, tell us that, as well. Agreeing with one another across party lines should be no more a kiss of death for a politician's platform that disagreeing should be, providing both stem from honest and genuine convictions and beliefs. Nor is it, to my way of thinking, an indicator of weakness or vulnerability to come to believe differently when one has a sound, well-considered premise for doing so.

Few would dispute the fact that government officials in this country are not collectively worthy of our continued vested trust. Most of us have come to regard politicians as at best, monumental scoundrels and at worst, power-intoxicated liars and thieves. But we'll be reaping what we've sown if we behave like sheep and vote in the very manner political "experts" can so handily predict.

I don't care how well a presidential candidate can talk the talk; I wanna know if he/she can - and will - walk the walk. If achieving goals for the good of our nation requires bi-partisan co-operation (and in what instance can you think of wouldn't it?) then why should agreeing with a political opponent and having the guts to say so be considered a character flaw? Grow up, America... stop voting for the candidates who are best at whispering sweet nothings in your ear and start demanding honesty in their words and deeds. If an amputation is the only avenue for survival, which would you prefer... the doctor who smiles benificently and tells you "this won't hurt a bit" or the medico who explains it all honestly and prepares you for the good and bad to come?

Often in life, the truth may be quite painful. Fleeing from or masking the pain, however, only buys a certain amount of time... and gives the underlying disease a chance to fester, grow, and perhaps prove fatal in the end.