Here's one thing about election season that always leaves us scratching our befuddled heads — why do people trust any presidential or congressional candidate? Moreover, why do otherwise reasonable people take their support to the next level by morphing into wild-eyed, sign-waving groupies? Agreeing with a candidate's professed beliefs is one thing, but beating pots-and-pans for a politician is something else entirely. Therefore our Freedom Movement t shirts convey the importance of accountability, free thought, and being involved at the local, state, and Federal level.
First of all, unless we're personal acquaintances with the candidate, we know very little about them. For instance, we have no idea what really motivates them, or what kind of person they may be. All we see is a studiously crafted image, the result of countless hours of work by talented marketing and public-relations professionals intent on bamboozling the gullible. The end product is a well-trained circus animal with the ability to smile on command, repeat stock phrases, and inflame the emotions and bigotries of supporters. If the candidate suffers a moment of real candor, it's a grave problem to be remedied by his trainers forthwith. In short, it's all moonshine.
Secondly, a candidate's promises on the campaign trail have as much value as my annual NCAA tournament projections. That is to say, diddly squat.
If someone in civil society makes grandiose promises to others and they fail to deliver — or to even try — they may rightly be subject to charges of fraud and breach-of-contract. But in the sordid world of politics, powerhungry hopefuls can promise whatever they like and there's no real accountability. To name but two examples, do you recall the campaigns of 'Bush the Free Marketeer' and 'Obama the Civil Libertarian'? Cut out of whole cloth by their respective handlers, these false but effective personas are believed by millions to this day, despite all evidence to the contrary. Now that's entertainment.
In the post-Constitutional era, when the lack of accountability applies to more than just broken promises, we prefer the rotten variety of political-circus animal to be transparent in their rottenness. Smooth-talking, likable personas just divert attention from the corrupt or abusive actions of the political class. So in this election year, we find ourselves waxing nostalgic for Richard Milhouse Nixon, a guy whose own mother likely treated with healthy suspicion.
