A Platform of Trust

POL 213: As I looked at the race shaping up for next fall’s Presidential election, something about the field of potential candidates struck me. I wondered where the sense of trust and dependability in my elected officials had gone. Is it simply my increasing maturity that allows me to see things as they really are, or are politicians really becoming more corrupt? At this point in my life, I can only imagine the multiplied pressures, strains, and temptations that public life can place on an individual. I doubt that I could stand untainted were I to be elected either. But I also recognize an inseparable truth: public officials should hold the trust of their constituents.

Their role is to be one of advocate and representative for the people. If they are going to give an accurate an unbiased consideration to the thoughts of their fellow citizens, they need to have a firm foundation from which to speak. This platform should not be compromised by teetering on both sides of an issue, or by waffling about the specifics of a potential solution. Only when Americans place enough faith in the person representing them in office can they then give credibility to government and our system of representation and choose to honor and obey their direction.

In an article for “World” magazine, Joel Belz brings up the issue of Mitt Romney’s Mormon faith. He wonders, “When, in a relatively short space of time, he seems to be on both sides of the same issue—and when such a deviously confusing approach seems to be consistent with his faith rather than counter to it—that sets off alarm bells for me” (Belz 5). This trend is troubling to me in more than Romney’s situation. It speaks of hypocrisy and political maneuvering. Romney needs to firmly base his campaign in truth by standing by his word. He shouldn’t look to past tendencies to pander to lobbyists or to trivialize constituents’ genuine concerns. Only by establishing a basis for trust can he hope to win a majority of votes on that decisive November day.

Belz, Joel. “Trifling with the Truth.” World. 10 November 2007: 5.