Note that this post first appeared in the St. Louis Suburban Journal on 10-24-12
When I was young I loved to watch my
mother bake all kinds of desserts. Not much time passed before I was asking if
she would teach me; and so, eventually, she did. Since I was an independent
sort, it wasn’t long after that I boldly insisted I was ready to bake a cake
from scratch without her help. Although reluctant, she finally agreed and wrote
out the list of ingredients.
I eagerly donned one of her aprons
and got busy measuring, pouring, mixing. And then I waited anxiously, not able
to open the oven in fear of spoiling all my hard work. But when the pans came
out the cake was flat. I forgot to add baking powder and the batter hadn't risen. The cake was ruined.
A similar situation has developed
today with American politics. The polls reveal that people across the country
have very low opinions of politicians. For example, a Gallup poll on Confidence
in Institutions found Congress ranked last out of the 16 institutions rated and
half of the people polled said they had "very little" or
"no" confidence in Congress.
Most of those disgruntled people
would probably find comfort in Samuel Clemens’s famous quip, “It could probably
be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American
criminal class except Congress.” Or with that consummate politician, Ronald
Reagan, who hit the nail on the head when he said, “Politics is supposed to be
the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close
resemblance to the first.”
Something vital is missing in our
relations with our elected leaders. From my point of view that missing
ingredient is trust.
Most people I talk to in West
County, Republicans and Democrats, express uneasiness at the role big money now
plays in election campaigns and in Washington. Getting elected to national
office takes enormous campaign chests, so aspiring politicians cozy up to
people with money and brazenly hold their hands out. We all know where that
leads. Joe Lieberman has been accused of being a shill for the insurance industry.
Chris Dodd was roundly criticized as Wall Street’s front man. And George W.
Bush and Dick Cheney were attacked for being in bed with the energy industry.
No small amount of truth resides in each of those characterizations.
Of course, the ridiculous promises politicians
make and the out and out lies they tell about their opponents during election
campaigns stretch the trust factor well past the breaking point. I mean, does
anyone really believe the nonsense you hear crawling out of the mouths of
politicians on the make? Today, lying in political campaigns is a must,
especially given an electorate that does not demand honesty and integrity from
candidates. It’s almost as if most Americans no longer care that they are being
lied to if the lie strengthens their preconceptions.
Congress made the trust problem
worse when they exempted themselves from Social Security and Medicare and
created retirement and healthcare programs for themselves that are shockingly
generous. How can you believe in someone who has purposely elevated himself
above life’s uncertainties but has the nerve to tell you that he understands
your plight? Get real. Add to that the role lobbyists play today in influencing
the passage of legislation and you have what has become a nearly perfect storm
of voter mistrust.
Here’s how things have changed in my
lifetime. Although I didn't always agree with Senator Jack Danforth, I greatly admired
and respected him. I was convinced that if he told voters something it was
because he believed it. I looked up to Danforth because of his unimpeachable integrity.
But he’s long gone from office and couldn't be elected in today’s political
climate. To top it off, a few months ago we learned that Senator Olympia Snow, always
a voice of reason, is retiring. She and Susan Collins are two of the few
moderates in Washington and now Snow, like Danforth, will also be gone.
