2006 Soap Box Archives

Image

Image--representation of the external form of a person or a thing.

There are a lot of things that gaul me with politicians but one thing that
runs me up the wall is the way they are so image conscious. Never mind what they really think or feel, never mind that their conscience and common sense are screaming at them to do the opposite.

After all, to do the right thing may go against the opinions of the
Washington Post or be blasted by the talking heads on CNN.

There's an old saying, "To thine own self be true and it's dang good
advice. Why can't a politician stand up and say what's in his heart without
worrying about what the editorial staff of the New York Times thinks about
it. That way, even if he's the last man standing he can face the person he
sees in the mirror the next morning.

When a person takes an oath to serve the public, that means he sets aside
his personal interests in favor of doing the right thing for we the people,
not me the person.

These people are afraid that if they look bad in the press they will not be
elected again. Well maybe they shouldn't be elected again. Maybe they should go back home and earn a living like all the people whose money they so freely spend have to.

You're always hearing analysts on television talking about how politicians
are taking certain stands so they'll appear to believe a certain way. That
is so vain and so empty. In other words it's not what is really in their
hearts, but what puts them in the good graces of the media.

What's so bad about being knocked in the media? Should our elected officials be worried about how they appear in a sound bite or what kind of job they're doing for the people back home?

Character and straight talk are scarce commodities inside the beltway and I
think it would be a wonderful thing to turn on the Sunday morning political
shows and hear just one politician give straight answers that truly
represent what's in his or her heart without sidestepping issues and
answering a question with another question.

It's amazing how fast congressional support for the war in Iraq has eroded
as gutless Congressmen and Senators who voted for the war in the beginning are backpedaling because they're afraid of how they'll be portrayed in the media.

They're like a bunch of lemmings following the pied piper polls over the edge.

Bon voyage.

Pray for our troops.

What do you think?

God Bless America

Charlie Daniels
October 20, 2006