A Cage Match

In a modern political climate full of vitriolic attacks, both on and by political actors, incessant fundraising, and billions of dollars, one becomes nostalgic for a seemingly simpler time in the world of politics. Too often, we look back through rose-colored glasses at the world of yesteryear and assume the purest of motives and the purest of actions by our politicos. Improbable and impossible.

Yet, it warrants a conversation about the intents and practical application of the business of government.

Today, we live in a soundbite culture where an NPR reporter admits to easing off difficult questions to a candidate during a press gaggle because she was simply looking for a quote to supplement a story.¹ A single line, phrase, or sound can spread across the globe in an instant, possibly even defining or destroying a politician.

(Consider Michael Dukakis on a tank, Hillary Clinton barking, or Governor Jeb Bush “please clap.”)

Our politicians cannot avoid dancing on tiptoe around every word they utter. Nor can they avoid the intense pressure to retain their position and accumulate the wealth necessary to fund it. According to the Congressional Management Foundation, the average congressman spends approximately 11 hours each week fundraising.² If you look at the tremendous amount of money raised and spent each year, it is obvious what you say or the policies you espouse can have an exponential effect on your future.

The total amount of money raised and spent this current election cycle boggles the imagination. Over $886 million spent by presidential candidates thus far in the 2016 election.³

The pressure of the office and the thirst for attention leads to “flip-flopping", indecision, and a lot of polling numbers (then your public relations staff worry constituents will deduce you took a stance based on polling data - quite the paradox).

Effectively Governing a Country

Our society has not made it easy for our politicians to show backbone, but neither have we incentivized it. We prod our politicians into different molds as they, in turn, help create societal mores.

All that to say, politicians of today seem diametrically different from our statesmen of the past.⁴

Politician⁵ -
2. a : a person engaged in party politics as a profession
b : a person primarily interested in political office for selfish or other narrow usually short-sighted reasons

Statesman⁶-

1: one versed in the principles or art of government; especially : one actively engaged in conducting the business of a government or in shaping its policies
2: a wise, skillful, and respected political leader

At the risk of sounding trite, I ask you to reflect on the the individuals who founded our country. These are men who risked it all to create and sustain government. In signing the Declaration of Independence, they stood up to the king, to Parliament, to their constituents and said, "This is important." “[…] we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” And many did lose much in the course of their political work.

William Jennings Bryan, three-time presidential candidate and Secretary of State under Woodrow Wilson, resigned his cabinet position in protest of the United States entering World War I. Agree or disagree with his policy, Bryan chose a position, defended his position, and lost his position because of it.

Truman Fires MacArthur - the headline created an uproar across the country. President Truman dismissed the wildly popular and World War II hero General Douglas MacArthur. Truman bore the wrath of fickle populace quietly. While the legacy of his decision can be debated, McArthur’s disregard from Truman’s authority gave the President just grounds for dismissing the general.

Sometimes. good government is not popular government. Sometimes, the right decision is not easy to understand, nor palatable to the larger population. When writing a budget or choosing a policy, it is time for our political leaders to chose to do their jobs well. As the general public, we need to hold our leaders accountable for their mistakes, but we also need to reward them for courage and honesty. Even if their opinions differ from ours, we need to recognize good governing is hard.

The politician can easily play the game and remain in power. A statesman will fight for the long-term solution. A statesman will choose the decision best for the community. A statesman will be willing to suffer for principle.

Next time you have the opportunity to chose a school board member, a district attorney, a state lawmaker, a state supreme court justice, or a federal lawmaker⁷ - think about who you are electing, a politician or a statesman.

¹ NPR Politics Podcast

² Other sources put this number higher. CMF obtained this number from surveys conducted with 25 members of U.S. House of Representatives. Congressional Management Foundation and Society for Human Resource Management, “Life in Congress: The Member Perspective.” 2013.

³ Center For Responsive Politics, www.opensecrets.org. Accessed Aug. 26, 2016.

⁴ While I love the word “statesman,” the gender wars of this day and age require the insertion of a caveat. Don’t be offended, the masculine form in this case is applicable to humanity as a whole. I take no issue with women in leadership positions. They are equally (if not more) effective and efficient as men.

⁵ Merriam Webster Dictionary. www.m-w.com. Accessed Aug. 26, 2016.

⁶ Merriam Webster Dictionary. www.m-w.com. Accessed Aug. 26, 2016.

⁷ Yes, you do get to participate in elections for many (if not all) of these positions.