First, there's a blog entry (about 250 words)which will have you respond to a hopefully thought-provoking question.
Second, there's a reading. There’s no blog entry associated with this. Just read.
Third, there's a written response to the reading. Your reading and writing on the blog must be completed by the Friday (by midnight) of the week in which the reading falls.This entry should be a long paragraph.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
WEEK FIVE WRITING ABOUT WHAT YOU READ
What is the key line in this essay? Why is it so important for grasping the overall point?
Also, how do you feel about this issue? Are truth and honesty relevant to you as you consider political candidates?
The key line in this essay is “A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded or foolish.” This line is summarizing the entire concept of the essay. This essay wasn’t written to point out the best candidate, it was written to be thought evoking. The authors’ intentions are to push voters to be better educated instead of accepting candidates’ words to be truth. This essay explains that there is no simple solution, when facing “hard truths” and uncertain futures. I completely agree with the author when he argues, “True charisma and leadership require acknowledging the uncertainties, recognizing the gaps in our knowledge.” Meaning a candidate should not spoon feed the public with coated lies, but that candidate should be willing to tell the ugly truth. During the election most candidates feel it easier to win votes, by telling voters what they want to hear. The tactic has been greatly successful for elections, but has had a substantial negative effect on life after the election. As a voter, I would like to hear the facts of things that aren’t as easy on my ears. I need to be informed on the road that I am selecting when I vote for a president. I do not want to vote for the best illusion; I want to vote for the most probable solution. Truth and honesty should be what selecting a candidate is based on. During this election a lot of what each side is doing is pointing out the flaws in the opponents plan, which seems to be a recurring them in politics. The candidates used their time to put down and attack the opposing side, instead of telling the public their views and beliefs for America. Instead of that drama, I would love to be educated on smart decisions that can provide the best solution to problems our nation is facing.
The key line of this essay is, “Voters are treated as intelligent, responsible adults who have to decide what is the most promising of unpalatable options.” This line lets everyone know that your country depends on you/us to make the choices. We, the people need to educate ourselves with more about what is going on around us. Even strong leaders need strong followers to stand by them. Politics has become a charade of trying to please voters and tell them what they want to hear to gain a vote for them. I agree how the author puts it in perspective, “they require the courage to tell difficult truths, to make unpopular decisions, to work with people who have different beliefs.” At times choices, decisions, are not what we like or opted for but our leaders have to be able to take those chances they believe might work. There is no perfect solution for America’s problems. The American political system has become so demanding of perfection and critical of those decisions that do not plan-out. Politicians just charade around and telling the American people what they think they want to hear. The author is letting everyone know that it is not right or left, Republican or Democrat, rather who has the best strategy that would be the most possible to work for us all. The point that we as the people have the choice to know what we want and deal with the repercussions of the decision that we make. If our decisions do not plan out, we cannot turn our back on the president or our country, but stand for what is right. Voters do want a “strong leader” but just the perception is not going to be good enough. Voters need be strong enough to handle the truths while our leaders make those unpopular decisions. The importance of grasping the overall point is that our leaders no matter what direction they come from need to be able work through the difficulties and learn how to be truthful with the people/voters. As a voter, I would rather learn more about those difficult truths than be told lies. The leader’s honesty is relevant to all the people affected by his/her decisions.
I really enjoyed reading this article. It showed me a different perspective in these upcoming elections. The key line in this essay is “A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded or foolish.” What this means is that if we really believe the promises these candidates make that we are in for a big surprise. It is important to grasp the overall point because sometimes as the general public we don’t get that nothing is certain. There are always going to be some minor drawbacks to things that we do. I feel that when candidates make promises it makes them look bad because realistically speaking I know that there is a minor chance of it happening. The article said that many of the things Obama promised in the last election were not fulfilled. It’s just better for these candidates to just say, “Here’s my plan, and this is what I’m going to do about it, there’s a percent chance it might work”. As citizen that is voting this election I am really tired of hearing promises from both candidates. I want them to tell them the reality of their plans. I wish that they would come out and show their true colors. Some people can’t handle the truth, but it’s always better. I’m tired of seeing just an image or a show. There’s more to that and we need to see what’s behind the curtains.
There are some key points which stand out to me while reading this essay. It seems we, as the voters, skew a President or Presidential candidate’s ability to outline their goals and responsibilities. Because we, the voters, have already decided what we want to hear, and we will, most likely, vote for who tells us our story best. It’s clear when I look at every speech a Presidential-hopeful has made when compared to his speech he made after four or eight years in office. From reading the highlights from the debate, I can see an obvious difference between Obama’s perspective now and four years ago. I think the biggest problem is we want to hear solid and concise solutions to our country’s problems, but we refuse to acknowledge our World revolves around uncertainty and guesstimating. We seem to understand we don’t know everything about our Earth’s oceans or things in deep space, but we demand our President has exact solutions to many very complex issues. I can see the differences between Obama’s perspective and the outlook Romney has. If I look at all the Presidents in the last 25 years, I can see how the job has beaten them down and aged them significantly. I think we need to open our minds to the idea that the issues are not black-and-white and require complex solutions, and not all problems have a clear perfect solution. I think Romney shows direction and enthusiasm, but the “vision” will only carry any President so far, and it’s the execution phase where the water started to darken.
The key point in this essay is "One day -- let us hope it comes soon -- voters will demand that their political leaders present them with a more realistic sense of the possibilities and choices they face." It is important to grasp because if you do not grasp the idea of the article you won't understand it and lose yourself in the reading or become uninterested in the topic. You may even believe that the article is trying to persuade you not vote for Obama and instead vote for Romney. I feel very surprised that we as Americans prefer to hear lies about the next president than hearing the truth. It is shocking that we would even think that out two candidate truly know what they are doing. After we vote for them they don't even do half of what they promised and we are disappointed in our votes. They promise so much just to get our votes and it is sad to see that Obama tried explaining that he didn't have all the answers yet most likely Romney who probably lied will end up getting more votes because he sounded confident. In this world nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes it really ticks me off when somebody says they have all the answers and after they become president they don't do what they promised. Instead the candidates should do as Obama did and tell the truth. Remind people that they will try to satisfy the needs of the people, but also remind them that not all their ways will help the United States some ideas may fail. Truth and honesty are relevant to me because I can respect a person who will probably fail to do all that he or she said they'd try to do than a person who lied to my face, about everything he or she would accomplish if he or she won the election. Honesty goes a long way in my book! It is better to admit that not all your ideas will work out in the way you hope then to lie and then disappoint people later in the future.
Although I agree mostly with my fellow classmates above me as to what the key point to this essay is, I felt it was this : "Voters may feel placidly satisfied when the candidates avoid mentioning the dangers ahead or the hard truths. But beneath the wishful thinking, Americans know that the world is complicated, the economy is challenging, the choices difficult." I feel as voters we want to hear all the good stuff our future president will do and that is what draws us to them. We vote for that certain candidate because they make these "dreamy" promises, as was stated in the article, and it seems satisfying to us. They avoid sharing the reality of the hard road ahead of them and it works to get votes. The second part of the quote I choose hits it dead on, although we have wishful thinking we know the truth. Wishful thinking is a great way to look at life, but we also need to keep things in perspective as voters. Our economy has a rough road ahead no matter if Romney wins or Obama wins, it is a huge responsibility to take on. Our world is full of hate and that causes so many complications for our President to work around. Hate for different race, sexual orientation, culture, religion so on and the President has to make things work for his country. There is not only the economy but many other issues that are very difficult to side on. From gas prices and the issues happening on the other side of the world, too schools not getting enough funding for its students and everything in between. We need to be smart and realize which ever president gets elected will have to face these problems. It is okay to have that "wishful thinking" but also think logically as to what is going to take place the next 4 years.
“A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded or foolish,” is the key line in this essay. This line demonstrates to the reader that for many years we have believed the fairytale like promises and expectations candidates created for us if elected for presidency. As voters and as a society, we have come to believe that those with dreamier promises are those we should elect. This line demonstrates that we need to move past this type of criteria when voting for our next president and have to grasp the reality of things. We can longer allow politicians to spoon feed us lies in regards to the things they will achieve during their presidency. Instead, we should demand them to give us the blatant truth of how they think things will turn out without any lies behind them. As a society, we have become more engrossed in believing in a happily ever after that when these ideals are not accomplished we blame the president and our government when in fact, we are the ones to blame. We cannot expect greatness to be reached from something that is a complete lie and unrealistic. When considering a political candidate, I expect them to tell me the reality of a situation as well as a realistic way they will handle the situation. As a voter, I am tired of hearing false promises and would rather hear that things are hard, but that with the appropriate approach these can become fixed. At this point in our country’s situation we can longer tolerate lies from our future president and government.
The key line of this essay is to show where the current political system is flawed. The reasons why it is flawed is because the current political system craves charisma and certainty in their political candidates however, the reality of our countries current state posses uncomfortable truths that are not being properly discussed. It is important to grasp the overall point of this essay, because we need as Americans to understand where the problem lies. If we had a political candidate that spoke truth about the state of our country would he or she have a realistic chance to win a presidential election? We as Americans claim to want truth, but do not have confidence in a leader that offers realistic expectations and solutions. The current political system is disappointing. The current presidential candidates are trying to please everyone. The fact of the matter is you can never please everyone, and it is more important to provide real information to the voters than to fill their heads with misleading information. Truth and honesty are very important to me when choosing a political leader. The truth can be harsh and honesty can be undesirable, but hearing lies is not helping our country. We cannot expect to progress, if we are not willing to change.
The key line in the essay is, One day -- let us hope it comes soon -- voters will demand that their political leaders present them with a more realistic sense of the possibilities and choices they face. This line is important in order grasp the overall point for many reasons. First of all, it is important because it shows how bad politicians lie that we have to demand realistic possibilities. Being a man that is running for president for one of the most powerful countries in the world, with so many hard working and honest people, they should be honest in the first place. We should not have to demand honesty and realism from our leaders. This is something that should be inherent in them. The second reason why this is the key line is because it shows how bad our country is that we have to have a realistic view of the choices we face. This line is so important to the rest of the article because it gives the reader some background of how bade things are, in order for the reader to understand why the candidates do what they do. I feel very incompetent about the way candidates run. People like to hear good things and cant stand to hear the bad truth. So in my opinion candidates have no other choice but to lie, because if they don’t they know that they will not get elected. Truth and honesty is something that I look for in a leader, but I also understand that in the political environment that we work with truth and honesty is something that you don’t hear about as much as we should.
The key sentence in this essay is, "A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded or foolish." This means that no matter what, politics and the people who run for it are corrupt. They speak with lies and the truth is always left out. They sugar-coat their speeches to make the voters vote for them. This sentence really helps understand the main point of the essay and it sums it up. Now, the candidates that run for president are trying to make a difference and want to improve the country. But if they say they are certain that all their ideas are going to work and that Congress will approve and pass their laws then they are just lying. The president has to remember that there is also the Congress to considered when making laws. Especially since the house is broken into two different political parties. This issue bugs me! I honestly feel like these candidates say things just to win votes. When in reality, so many people are actually trying to vote for someone who will help improve their lives not make it worse. I believe that candidates should be honest because then voters can make a better decision in who to vote for. People deserve to have all the true facts because these are the men we are putting to run this country.
For myself, the key sentence in this essay was "He would bring red and blue states back together, close down the prison at Guantanamo, fight climate change and genocide. " I chose this phrase because it is the definition of all campaigns. This was a very bold statement made by Obama back in 2008, but it was a statement that should have been quickly pointed out as not being realistic. Truth and honesty are completely relevant to me because that's what I want to hear and that is what's going to put us in the right direction. That is why when we talk to each other we always ask if you would like the bad news or good news first. We do this because we recognize that there is not always positive outcomes and we are ready to accept there might be some bad news. So I would like the same to be done in politics. Any one of us knows that our economy is not going to be fixed with a snap of the fingers yet the politicians say things to us to make it seem that way. Any one of us knows that pulling a complete army out of a country cannot happen with a snap of the fingers, nor can we shut down a prison right away. Yet, during his 2008 campaign, he was very adamant at painting it this way. The article also begs that possibly one day voters will be give a more realistic sense of the possibilities. I feel that if Obama had given the American population this realistic sense, he wouldn't be in the negative view point as much as he is now. But instead, he promised us this and that and that and this, giving the nation what he called "Hope". The day when we have a candidate who gives us the "bad news" plainly and clearly, and makes us understand that things are not going to be easy and that things don't get done with a snap of the fingers, I believe he (or she) will see a bipartisan government and a truly hopeful nation.
The key line in the essay is “A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded or foolish.” I think the author threw this statement out to wake up the voters. She clearly wants the voters to think more rationally when they vote, rather than getting caught up in the illusory promises we hear all the time. I feel that we do tend to lean toward the unattainable promises, as if we really think they will be attained. I think it is partly ignorance as well. For instance, some vote specifically because they are by tradition Republican or Democrat, or vote Republican on sole purposes because they are against abortions, etc. When I listen to President Obama now, I can appreciate his candor with our country’s issues. I think perhaps he did not realize how bad it was, and how much there was to fix. Now, President Obama is forced to be realistic and true about where we are. I personally think it is ridiculous that we think that everything should have been fixed within his four years. I think truth is always important, but truth sometimes hurts, and sometimes it is not what we want to hear. I want a leader that is fair, and who exemplifies hope. I want a leader who will do everything in his power to find the solutions to our world’s problems. I think it is acceptable to not know the answer to everything, but it is equally important to research and find the answers. In my opinion, these qualities demonstrate strength, concern, and dedication to the people.
The key line in this essay is, as Frida Ghitis put it, “A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded or foolish.” Although this quote is primarily in reference to Mitt Romney Ghitis attacks both candidates on their habits of reassuring the people that their way is best and unfaultable. The point is important otherwise the essay wouldn’t have a comprehensible direction. It is clear to me that she thinks both candidates have the same campaign tactics. I think running a country is a difficult and important task, and that candidates for the position get really close to crossing the line of persuading and lying to the public on some issues to get those voters so they can maximize the vote and get elected. It is up to the people to research the candidates and really take a look at their track record and their staff’s competence to truly understand where they stand on the issues that matter. The “truth” is all that really matters; however, the “truth” alone doesn’t win elections. I choose the candidate that hits on the issues that matter the most.
The key line in the essay is “the American political system demands charisma, leadership and boundless optimism, even if they are artificial and hollow.” It is very important to grasp the overall point because it is very thought provoking. It changed my perception on American politics, and on the upcoming election I will keep in mind that maybe there is very little truth about the both candidates but I will make my judgments based on who has come close to telling the truth. I think no one likes to be lied to, but the main point is can we handle the bare truth? If a car salesman tells me that the car I want to buy has many problems, knowing the truth would I buy the car? If a real estate agent informs me of all the problems with a house, would I ever buy the house? Politicians are no different than any sales person, and if we, the voters, are told the real truth, I don’t think we would not be able to handle it. If we want to change our political system, we need to change our way of thinking, and not just focus on the things our candidates can do but also demand and accept the fact of the things that they cannot accomplish. We need to keep in mind our politicians are human beings and we should not expect super hero qualities from them.
The key line in this essay is the first sentence of the second paragraph, “One day – let us hope it comes soon – voters will demand that their political leaders present them with a more realistic sense of the possibilities and choices they face.” It basically sums of the answers to all the questions asked before it. No, the candidates cannot tell the truth and win. No, the candidates cannot talk to voters like adults. No, voters will not support a candidate who tells the truth. The vast majority of voters don’t want to hear what the candidate actually will do in office. They want to hear that the candidate they support will solve all the world’s ills. They will protect us from evil (including the evils of our own stupidity). They will heal the sick. They will make the world love us. And they will do so while lowering taxes and shrinking the national debt. Maybe afterwards they can walk on water and turn water into wine. As for myself, I am simply fed up with both parties making empty promises, slinging mud at their opponent, and changing their story and way of talking based on who they are speaking to. If I saw a candidate that was truly honest, I wouldn’t recognize it. But assuming that I did recognize the honesty, that person would have my vote in a heartbeat, regardless of political values.
The key lines that stood out to me were, "The American political system demands charisma, leadership, and boundless optimism, even if they are artificial and hollow" and "A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded, or foolish." I think these lines are the key points because the first shows that America wants someone who is certain of themselves and has a charm about them that makes us want to believe them. Whereas, the second quote shows that a candidate who does what we want them to do is practically crazy. I think as Americans it's hard for us to want a leader who says, "This may or may not work" rather than someone who says, "This WILL work." Even if the candidate is lying in the latter of the two cases, since they are coming off as being confident, we are drawn to them. I don't feel that the confidence that comes off, even if it's a lie, it gives us hope. I think that the candidate who is honest about something possibly not working, we look at them like they are crazy because this other candidate guaranteed something. All in all, I think as a politically unaware American, I lean towards the person who makes these nice guarantees instead of the person who is more honest. However, I think that the more politically educated an individual is, the more likely they will make a better decision.
The key line in this essay for me was, “People are drawn to those who seem most sure of their ideas. But being more certain does not make you more right.” Because this is truly what voters look at. If a candidate seems certain of what they are preaching, the voter will take that into consideration and most likely vote for that candidate, knowing that there is a 50% chance that they may be lying. I feel this issue is very important because candidates are afraid to the truth of their capabilities. Candidates know what they people want to hear and they do it well. Which is why I do not believe that Romney and Obama can tell the truth and win, or any candidate for that matter. Voters have the right to hear the truth. I mean thats the least they can do. Since, the voter are trusting that they will take care of them. In my personal opinion truth and honesty are very important to me when considering a political candidate. However, it is very difficult to know when political candidates are telling the truth. This is because they sure do know how to keep a straight poker face. It’s as if they are pathological liars, the lies seem to come naturally to them. Political candidates will do whatever it takes to win.
The key line to me in this essay was “A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded or foolish.” This is very important because most people in the United States don't care that this guy is ridiculously foolish, lying, and just trying to win. All that America cares about is who sounds better on tv than the other guy. This tactic has been done by all of the presidents. They all promise to fix everything, yet almost nothing ever gets fixed or even changed. I feel that the presidential campaign is a joke. Mostly it is whoever has the most money to put enough ads out there will win the race. Also, whoever can get enough dirt out to the public about the other candidates will win. Lying and giving false hope is what America is about. The president cant change most of the things that they say they can, so why vote for them based on those lies. Truth and honestly are crucial to me when it comes to my vote. If someone is lying I probably won't vote for them. I try and look at the facts of who they are, where they are from, and what they actually believed before they decided to run for presidency. Taking these things into account will give me a good idea of who I would vote for.
I wish the problems of our country were easy and can be fixed by making easy choices. I wish that politicians were genuine in their responses and could tell the public the truth. Truth and honesty is relevant in my book. The sad thing is I don't think that will ever happen. I hardly vote. I think all politicians are just filling my head with nonsense and saying whatever it takes to get the vote. They key point in this essay "One day -- let us hope it comes soon -- voters will demand that their political leaders present them with a more realistic sense of possibilities and choices they face." We as American's are responsible for choosing and voting the next leader of our country. Yet we allow these false remarks to be sustainable answers. Are we as American dumb when it comes to political leaders? This essay made great points when it talks about the promises the Obama gave us four years ago. He had unrealistic answers and promises that resembled the end of a Disney movie. He dreams were too big and far fetched. We should be demanding realistic answers. In debates, if the answers are not answered we should go back to the question and demand a straight answer. Presidential candidates should not be allowed to give different speeches to different audiences. How can we expect a honest leader to rule our country we he can't be honest about what he believes in. I want a President that is not filling my head with nonsense. I want a President that present me with realistic sense of possibilities and admits when his choices we not the right choice. But will that ever happen? Probably not.
The key line in this essay is, " A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded or foolish." This essay was written to reiterate to the people the importance of making rational, educated decisions when it comes to voting. It is much easier to believe every word that comes out of either candidates mouth but by now we should know better than that. Just because they are saying it does not mean it is going to happen. I feel that all the bickering and bashing of each other makes it more of a popularity contest than a presidential election. I think we have to understand that nobody is perfect and even the president will make mistakes. It is how you deal with the mistakes that shows true character. Truth and honesty are very important to me when considering political candidates. Why would I want to support some one who sugarcoats everything they say? They know in reality their sugarcoated promises are not going to happen. It would be nice to hear the truth about important issues because it would help voters make a more informed and logical decision. The truth does not always sound the best or give great amounts of hope but it is reality and if we want to become a better country we need honestly, not sugarcoated lies.
The key line in the essay was,“A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded or foolish.” This is crucial to the story because people need to comprehend that when politicians are running for office they will say anything and everything to win. This short story can be looked at as an eye opener because many people are not aware that politicians promise certain changes that are not actually realistic. I think this is important because the person that is going to represent us, should represent what he promised he would. In all honestly, I do not think a politician will ever be honest because we could not handle hearing a person in power say they will not be able to get us out of debt. However, a person who speaks the truth will be admired but people may think he is weak reason being he does not believe strongly enough that change can happen. Voting for the right person is important, but it is hard to do when they twist the truth.
After reading this essay, I decided that the key line is “A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded or foolish”. In reality, there is no possible way that can be true. No candidate can foresee the actual end results to any choice that is made. So how can they be 100% certain it will work out, if they don’t actual know that? It doesn’t make sense yet voters are attracted to candidates that are assertive and confident that their plans will be successful. The essay states that “an appearance of self-assurance creates a reassuring aura of competence and charisma. It makes people feel better. People are drawn to those who seem most sure of their ideas”. It is natural to have faith in someone who seems confident about their beliefs. But as the essay also states, “being more certain does not make you more right”. I feel that actions speak louder than words. As a voter you can’t really witness any action until someone is elected into office, therefore, you have to rely on words. I rely on the words that mostly apply to me, my family, my life, and what I believe in. I rely on the words that I agree with most. I do believe truth and honesty are most important when dealing with political candidates. Truth and honesty are hard to prove, once again, without action. Until I see these plans and choices that are 100% guaranteed to work actually accomplished, I will not be able to fully believe any candidate.
The key line of this article is “A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded, or foolish”. This article explores the idea of political candidates ability to be honest about tough issues and this line summarizes their conclusion perfectly. Frida Ghitis goal for this article was to impress the importance of being an educated voter. It is so easy to just blindly follow one candidate trusting what they are telling the public is true, but it is much harder to actually research the major issues and decide for yourself if what the candidate is proposing is even possible. I vote for the person who proposes not only the best solution but also the most probable one. Another line that stood out to me was “But beneath the wishful thinking, Americans know that the world is complicated, the economy is challenging, the choices difficult” because I think that this is very true. Most of us know that issues like the economy, unemployment, and world conflicts are not easily fixed problems but it is comforting to people to hear someone say they have all the answers. This is why I think politicians cannot be honest with people; it is unsettling to have a leader that says, “Well, my plan might work or it could completely fail. I have no idea which way it will go, but I hope it works”. The competition and the press would destroy any candidate who did tell the truth.
This essay is all about truth, honesty, and where these concepts fit into politics. With that being said, the key line in the article sates, "A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded, or foolish." The article focuses on both promises from Obama and Romney and how they can be perceived as lies. The reason this is so is Americans can not deal with gray and blurred lines of certainty. When it comes to politics we would like decisions and speeches to indicate options and outcomes that are black and white. Presidential candidates have to find a balance between being "dreamy" or sounding to certain and confident and telling the truth. A candidate could say I do not know all the answers and my ideas might not work but the listeners tend to not hear this and criticize or praise the ideas they present as if they had no doubt. Both Obama and Romney have to find the balance of being certain and sure in the direction they want to take the country without being overly confident or cocky that it is going to work. When it does, as complications are inevitable, arguments and complications among political parties and citizens with arise. We are basically asking the candidates for presidency to walk a tight rope and if they fall we will ignore anything good they do have to offer. Truth and honesty are definitely important when picking a candidate to vote for. What I am most interesting in though is hearing a candidate say I am not sure how this will play out but here are a few scenarios that could happen and hear is how I will address them. This will give insight to how a candidate will handle complications and difficulties if they were elected to term.
In my opinion, the key line of this essay is that voters should know that politicians lie. Politicians will usually overestimate there abilities about what they can or can not do. If a political candidate says they will do exactly what they say they are going to do, the candidate is usually lying. It is true that honesty should be a big importance in politics but the truth is that it can never be that way. The reason is because no matter what, if a presidential candidate tells the people what they do not want to hear (the truth) no one will ever get elected. Sometimes people need to be lied to in order to have someone in charge that will at least try to get something done. No one wants to hear a president say "I will try to...." they want to hear "I WILL do...". They say these things because they have to give citizens hope, even though it is not true.
The key line in this essay is “A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded or foolish.” This line is summarizing the entire concept of the essay. This essay wasn’t written to point out the best candidate, it was written to be thought evoking. The authors’ intentions are to push voters to be better educated instead of accepting candidates’ words to be truth. This essay explains that there is no simple solution, when facing “hard truths” and uncertain futures. I completely agree with the author when he argues, “True charisma and leadership require acknowledging the uncertainties, recognizing the gaps in our knowledge.” Meaning a candidate should not spoon feed the public with coated lies, but that candidate should be willing to tell the ugly truth. During the election most candidates feel it easier to win votes, by telling voters what they want to hear. The tactic has been greatly successful for elections, but has had a substantial negative effect on life after the election. As a voter, I would like to hear the facts of things that aren’t as easy on my ears. I need to be informed on the road that I am selecting when I vote for a president. I do not want to vote for the best illusion; I want to vote for the most probable solution. Truth and honesty should be what selecting a candidate is based on. During this election a lot of what each side is doing is pointing out the flaws in the opponents plan, which seems to be a recurring them in politics. The candidates used their time to put down and attack the opposing side, instead of telling the public their views and beliefs for America. Instead of that drama, I would love to be educated on smart decisions that can provide the best solution to problems our nation is facing.
ReplyDeleteThe key line of this essay is, “Voters are treated as intelligent, responsible adults who have to decide what is the most promising of unpalatable options.” This line lets everyone know that your country depends on you/us to make the choices. We, the people need to educate ourselves with more about what is going on around us. Even strong leaders need strong followers to stand by them. Politics has become a charade of trying to please voters and tell them what they want to hear to gain a vote for them. I agree how the author puts it in perspective, “they require the courage to tell difficult truths, to make unpopular decisions, to work with people who have different beliefs.” At times choices, decisions, are not what we like or opted for but our leaders have to be able to take those chances they believe might work. There is no perfect solution for America’s problems. The American political system has become so demanding of perfection and critical of those decisions that do not plan-out. Politicians just charade around and telling the American people what they think they want to hear. The author is letting everyone know that it is not right or left, Republican or Democrat, rather who has the best strategy that would be the most possible to work for us all. The point that we as the people have the choice to know what we want and deal with the repercussions of the decision that we make. If our decisions do not plan out, we cannot turn our back on the president or our country, but stand for what is right. Voters do want a “strong leader” but just the perception is not going to be good enough. Voters need be strong enough to handle the truths while our leaders make those unpopular decisions. The importance of grasping the overall point is that our leaders no matter what direction they come from need to be able work through the difficulties and learn how to be truthful with the people/voters. As a voter, I would rather learn more about those difficult truths than be told lies. The leader’s honesty is relevant to all the people affected by his/her decisions.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this article. It showed me a different perspective in these upcoming elections. The key line in this essay is “A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded or foolish.” What this means is that if we really believe the promises these candidates make that we are in for a big surprise. It is important to grasp the overall point because sometimes as the general public we don’t get that nothing is certain. There are always going to be some minor drawbacks to things that we do. I feel that when candidates make promises it makes them look bad because realistically speaking I know that there is a minor chance of it happening. The article said that many of the things Obama promised in the last election were not fulfilled. It’s just better for these candidates to just say, “Here’s my plan, and this is what I’m going to do about it, there’s a percent chance it might work”. As citizen that is voting this election I am really tired of hearing promises from both candidates. I want them to tell them the reality of their plans. I wish that they would come out and show their true colors. Some people can’t handle the truth, but it’s always better. I’m tired of seeing just an image or a show. There’s more to that and we need to see what’s behind the curtains.
ReplyDeleteThere are some key points which stand out to me while reading this essay. It seems we, as the voters, skew a President or Presidential candidate’s ability to outline their goals and responsibilities. Because we, the voters, have already decided what we want to hear, and we will, most likely, vote for who tells us our story best. It’s clear when I look at every speech a Presidential-hopeful has made when compared to his speech he made after four or eight years in office. From reading the highlights from the debate, I can see an obvious difference between Obama’s perspective now and four years ago. I think the biggest problem is we want to hear solid and concise solutions to our country’s problems, but we refuse to acknowledge our World revolves around uncertainty and guesstimating. We seem to understand we don’t know everything about our Earth’s oceans or things in deep space, but we demand our President has exact solutions to many very complex issues. I can see the differences between Obama’s perspective and the outlook Romney has. If I look at all the Presidents in the last 25 years, I can see how the job has beaten them down and aged them significantly. I think we need to open our minds to the idea that the issues are not black-and-white and require complex solutions, and not all problems have a clear perfect solution. I think Romney shows direction and enthusiasm, but the “vision” will only carry any President so far, and it’s the execution phase where the water started to darken.
ReplyDeleteThe key point in this essay is "One day -- let us hope it comes soon -- voters will demand that their political leaders present them with a more realistic sense of the possibilities and choices they face." It is important to grasp because if you do not grasp the idea of the article you won't understand it and lose yourself in the reading or become uninterested in the topic. You may even believe that the article is trying to persuade you not vote for Obama and instead vote for Romney. I feel very surprised that we as Americans prefer to hear lies about the next president than hearing the truth. It is shocking that we would even think that out two candidate truly know what they are doing. After we vote for them they don't even do half of what they promised and we are disappointed in our votes. They promise so much just to get our votes and it is sad to see that Obama tried explaining that he didn't have all the answers yet most likely Romney who probably lied will end up getting more votes because he sounded confident. In this world nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes it really ticks me off when somebody says they have all the answers and after they become president they don't do what they promised. Instead the candidates should do as Obama did and tell the truth. Remind people that they will try to satisfy the needs of the people, but also remind them that not all their ways will help the United States some ideas may fail. Truth and honesty are relevant to me because I can respect a person who will probably fail to do all that he or she said they'd try to do than a person who lied to my face, about everything he or she would accomplish if he or she won the election. Honesty goes a long way in my book! It is better to admit that not all your ideas will work out in the way you hope then to lie and then disappoint people later in the future.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I agree mostly with my fellow classmates above me as to what the key point to this essay is, I felt it was this : "Voters may feel placidly satisfied when the candidates avoid mentioning the dangers ahead or the hard truths. But beneath the wishful thinking, Americans know that the world is complicated, the economy is challenging, the choices difficult."
ReplyDeleteI feel as voters we want to hear all the good stuff our future president will do and that is what draws us to them. We vote for that certain candidate because they make these "dreamy" promises, as was stated in the article, and it seems satisfying to us. They avoid sharing the reality of the hard road ahead of them and it works to get votes. The second part of the quote I choose hits it dead on, although we have wishful thinking we know the truth. Wishful thinking is a great way to look at life, but we also need to keep things in perspective as voters. Our economy has a rough road ahead no matter if Romney wins or Obama wins, it is a huge responsibility to take on. Our world is full of hate and that causes so many complications for our President to work around. Hate for different race, sexual orientation, culture, religion so on and the President has to make things work for his country. There is not only the economy but many other issues that are very difficult to side on. From gas prices and the issues happening on the other side of the world, too schools not getting enough funding for its students and everything in between. We need to be smart and realize which ever president gets elected will have to face these problems. It is okay to have that "wishful thinking" but also think logically as to what is going to take place the next 4 years.
ReplyDelete“A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded or foolish,” is the key line in this essay. This line demonstrates to the reader that for many years we have believed the fairytale like promises and expectations candidates created for us if elected for presidency. As voters and as a society, we have come to believe that those with dreamier promises are those we should elect. This line demonstrates that we need to move past this type of criteria when voting for our next president and have to grasp the reality of things. We can longer allow politicians to spoon feed us lies in regards to the things they will achieve during their presidency. Instead, we should demand them to give us the blatant truth of how they think things will turn out without any lies behind them. As a society, we have become more engrossed in believing in a happily ever after that when these ideals are not accomplished we blame the president and our government when in fact, we are the ones to blame. We cannot expect greatness to be reached from something that is a complete lie and unrealistic. When considering a political candidate, I expect them to tell me the reality of a situation as well as a realistic way they will handle the situation. As a voter, I am tired of hearing false promises and would rather hear that things are hard, but that with the appropriate approach these can become fixed. At this point in our country’s situation we can longer tolerate lies from our future president and government.
The key line of this essay is to show where the current political system is flawed. The reasons why it is flawed is because the current political system craves charisma and certainty in their political candidates however, the reality of our countries current state posses uncomfortable truths that are not being properly discussed. It is important to grasp the overall point of this essay, because we need as Americans to understand where the problem lies. If we had a political candidate that spoke truth about the state of our country would he or she have a realistic chance to win a presidential election? We as Americans claim to want truth, but do not have confidence in a leader that offers realistic expectations and solutions. The current political system is disappointing. The current presidential candidates are trying to please everyone. The fact of the matter is you can never please everyone, and it is more important to provide real information to the voters than to fill their heads with misleading information. Truth and honesty are very important to me when choosing a political leader. The truth can be harsh and honesty can be undesirable, but hearing lies is not helping our country. We cannot expect to progress, if we are not willing to change.
ReplyDeleteThe key line in the essay is, One day -- let us hope it comes soon -- voters will demand that their political leaders present them with a more realistic sense of the possibilities and choices they face. This line is important in order grasp the overall point for many reasons. First of all, it is important because it shows how bad politicians lie that we have to demand realistic possibilities. Being a man that is running for president for one of the most powerful countries in the world, with so many hard working and honest people, they should be honest in the first place. We should not have to demand honesty and realism from our leaders. This is something that should be inherent in them. The second reason why this is the key line is because it shows how bad our country is that we have to have a realistic view of the choices we face. This line is so important to the rest of the article because it gives the reader some background of how bade things are, in order for the reader to understand why the candidates do what they do. I feel very incompetent about the way candidates run. People like to hear good things and cant stand to hear the bad truth. So in my opinion candidates have no other choice but to lie, because if they don’t they know that they will not get elected. Truth and honesty is something that I look for in a leader, but I also understand that in the political environment that we work with truth and honesty is something that you don’t hear about as much as we should.
DeleteThe key sentence in this essay is, "A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded or foolish." This means that no matter what, politics and the people who run for it are corrupt. They speak with lies and the truth is always left out. They sugar-coat their speeches to make the voters vote for them. This sentence really helps understand the main point of the essay and it sums it up. Now, the candidates that run for president are trying to make a difference and want to improve the country. But if they say they are certain that all their ideas are going to work and that Congress will approve and pass their laws then they are just lying. The president has to remember that there is also the Congress to considered when making laws. Especially since the house is broken into two different political parties.
ReplyDeleteThis issue bugs me! I honestly feel like these candidates say things just to win votes. When in reality, so many people are actually trying to vote for someone who will help improve their lives not make it worse. I believe that candidates should be honest because then voters can make a better decision in who to vote for. People deserve to have all the true facts because these are the men we are putting to run this country.
For myself, the key sentence in this essay was "He would bring red and blue states back together, close down the prison at Guantanamo, fight climate change and genocide. " I chose this phrase because it is the definition of all campaigns. This was a very bold statement made by Obama back in 2008, but it was a statement that should have been quickly pointed out as not being realistic. Truth and honesty are completely relevant to me because that's what I want to hear and that is what's going to put us in the right direction. That is why when we talk to each other we always ask if you would like the bad news or good news first. We do this because we recognize that there is not always positive outcomes and we are ready to accept there might be some bad news. So I would like the same to be done in politics. Any one of us knows that our economy is not going to be fixed with a snap of the fingers yet the politicians say things to us to make it seem that way. Any one of us knows that pulling a complete army out of a country cannot happen with a snap of the fingers, nor can we shut down a prison right away. Yet, during his 2008 campaign, he was very adamant at painting it this way. The article also begs that possibly one day voters will be give a more realistic sense of the possibilities. I feel that if Obama had given the American population this realistic sense, he wouldn't be in the negative view point as much as he is now. But instead, he promised us this and that and that and this, giving the nation what he called "Hope". The day when we have a candidate who gives us the "bad news" plainly and clearly, and makes us understand that things are not going to be easy and that things don't get done with a snap of the fingers, I believe he (or she) will see a bipartisan government and a truly hopeful nation.
ReplyDeleteThe key line in the essay is “A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded or foolish.” I think the author threw this statement out to wake up the voters. She clearly wants the voters to think more rationally when they vote, rather than getting caught up in the illusory promises we hear all the time. I feel that we do tend to lean toward the unattainable promises, as if we really think they will be attained. I think it is partly ignorance as well. For instance, some vote specifically because they are by tradition Republican or Democrat, or vote Republican on sole purposes because they are against abortions, etc. When I listen to President Obama now, I can appreciate his candor with our country’s issues. I think perhaps he did not realize how bad it was, and how much there was to fix. Now, President Obama is forced to be realistic and true about where we are. I personally think it is ridiculous that we think that everything should have been fixed within his four years. I think truth is always important, but truth sometimes hurts, and sometimes it is not what we want to hear. I want a leader that is fair, and who exemplifies hope. I want a leader who will do everything in his power to find the solutions to our world’s problems. I think it is acceptable to not know the answer to everything, but it is equally important to research and find the answers. In my opinion, these qualities demonstrate strength, concern, and dedication to the people.
ReplyDeleteThe key line in this essay is, as Frida Ghitis put it, “A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded or foolish.” Although this quote is primarily in reference to Mitt Romney Ghitis attacks both candidates on their habits of reassuring the people that their way is best and unfaultable. The point is important otherwise the essay wouldn’t have a comprehensible direction. It is clear to me that she thinks both candidates have the same campaign tactics. I think running a country is a difficult and important task, and that candidates for the position get really close to crossing the line of persuading and lying to the public on some issues to get those voters so they can maximize the vote and get elected. It is up to the people to research the candidates and really take a look at their track record and their staff’s competence to truly understand where they stand on the issues that matter. The “truth” is all that really matters; however, the “truth” alone doesn’t win elections. I choose the candidate that hits on the issues that matter the most.
ReplyDeleteThe key line in the essay is “the American political system demands charisma, leadership and boundless optimism, even if they are artificial and hollow.” It is very important to grasp the overall point because it is very thought provoking. It changed my perception on American politics, and on the upcoming election I will keep in mind that maybe there is very little truth about the both candidates but I will make my judgments based on who has come close to telling the truth. I think no one likes to be lied to, but the main point is can we handle the bare truth? If a car salesman tells me that the car I want to buy has many problems, knowing the truth would I buy the car? If a real estate agent informs me of all the problems with a house, would I ever buy the house? Politicians are no different than any sales person, and if we, the voters, are told the real truth, I don’t think we would not be able to handle it. If we want to change our political system, we need to change our way of thinking, and not just focus on the things our candidates can do but also demand and accept the fact of the things that they cannot accomplish. We need to keep in mind our politicians are human beings and we should not expect super hero qualities from them.
ReplyDeleteThe key line in this essay is the first sentence of the second paragraph, “One day – let us hope it comes soon – voters will demand that their political leaders present them with a more realistic sense of the possibilities and choices they face.” It basically sums of the answers to all the questions asked before it. No, the candidates cannot tell the truth and win. No, the candidates cannot talk to voters like adults. No, voters will not support a candidate who tells the truth. The vast majority of voters don’t want to hear what the candidate actually will do in office. They want to hear that the candidate they support will solve all the world’s ills. They will protect us from evil (including the evils of our own stupidity). They will heal the sick. They will make the world love us. And they will do so while lowering taxes and shrinking the national debt. Maybe afterwards they can walk on water and turn water into wine. As for myself, I am simply fed up with both parties making empty promises, slinging mud at their opponent, and changing their story and way of talking based on who they are speaking to. If I saw a candidate that was truly honest, I wouldn’t recognize it. But assuming that I did recognize the honesty, that person would have my vote in a heartbeat, regardless of political values.
ReplyDeleteThe key lines that stood out to me were, "The American political system demands charisma, leadership, and boundless optimism, even if they are artificial and hollow" and "A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded, or foolish."
ReplyDeleteI think these lines are the key points because the first shows that America wants someone who is certain of themselves and has a charm about them that makes us want to believe them. Whereas, the second quote shows that a candidate who does what we want them to do is practically crazy.
I think as Americans it's hard for us to want a leader who says, "This may or may not work" rather than someone who says, "This WILL work." Even if the candidate is lying in the latter of the two cases, since they are coming off as being confident, we are drawn to them. I don't feel that the confidence that comes off, even if it's a lie, it gives us hope. I think that the candidate who is honest about something possibly not working, we look at them like they are crazy because this other candidate guaranteed something.
All in all, I think as a politically unaware American, I lean towards the person who makes these nice guarantees instead of the person who is more honest. However, I think that the more politically educated an individual is, the more likely they will make a better decision.
The key line in this essay for me was, “People are drawn to those who seem most sure of their ideas. But being more certain does not make you more right.” Because this is truly what voters look at. If a candidate seems certain of what they are preaching, the voter will take that into consideration and most likely vote for that candidate, knowing that there is a 50% chance that they may be lying. I feel this issue is very important because candidates are afraid to the truth of their capabilities. Candidates know what they people want to hear and they do it well. Which is why I do not believe that Romney and Obama can tell the truth and win, or any candidate for that matter. Voters have the right to hear the truth. I mean thats the least they can do. Since, the voter are trusting that they will take care of them. In my personal opinion truth and honesty are very important to me when considering a political candidate. However, it is very difficult to know when political candidates are telling the truth. This is because they sure do know how to keep a straight poker face. It’s as if they are pathological liars, the lies seem to come naturally to them. Political candidates will do whatever it takes to win.
ReplyDeleteThe key line to me in this essay was “A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded or foolish.” This is very important because most people in the United States don't care that this guy is ridiculously foolish, lying, and just trying to win. All that America cares about is who sounds better on tv than the other guy. This tactic has been done by all of the presidents. They all promise to fix everything, yet almost nothing ever gets fixed or even changed. I feel that the presidential campaign is a joke. Mostly it is whoever has the most money to put enough ads out there will win the race. Also, whoever can get enough dirt out to the public about the other candidates will win. Lying and giving false hope is what America is about. The president cant change most of the things that they say they can, so why vote for them based on those lies. Truth and honestly are crucial to me when it comes to my vote. If someone is lying I probably won't vote for them. I try and look at the facts of who they are, where they are from, and what they actually believed before they decided to run for presidency. Taking these things into account will give me a good idea of who I would vote for.
ReplyDeleteI wish the problems of our country were easy and can be fixed by making easy choices. I wish that politicians were genuine in their responses and could tell the public the truth. Truth and honesty is relevant in my book. The sad thing is I don't think that will ever happen. I hardly vote. I think all politicians are just filling my head with nonsense and saying whatever it takes to get the vote. They key point in this essay "One day -- let us hope it comes soon -- voters will demand that their political leaders present them with a more realistic sense of possibilities and choices they face." We as American's are responsible for choosing and voting the next leader of our country. Yet we allow these false remarks to be sustainable answers. Are we as American dumb when it comes to political leaders? This essay made great points when it talks about the promises the Obama gave us four years ago. He had unrealistic answers and promises that resembled the end of a Disney movie. He dreams were too big and far fetched. We should be demanding realistic answers. In debates, if the answers are not answered we should go back to the question and demand a straight answer. Presidential candidates should not be allowed to give different speeches to different audiences. How can we expect a honest leader to rule our country we he can't be honest about what he believes in. I want a President that is not filling my head with nonsense. I want a President that present me with realistic sense of possibilities and admits when his choices we not the right choice. But will that ever happen? Probably not.
ReplyDeleteThe key line in this essay is, " A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded or foolish." This essay was written to reiterate to the people the importance of making rational, educated decisions when it comes to voting. It is much easier to believe every word that comes out of either candidates mouth but by now we should know better than that. Just because they are saying it does not mean it is going to happen. I feel that all the bickering and bashing of each other makes it more of a popularity contest than a presidential election. I think we have to understand that nobody is perfect and even the president will make mistakes. It is how you deal with the mistakes that shows true character. Truth and honesty are very important to me when considering political candidates. Why would I want to support some one who sugarcoats everything they say? They know in reality their sugarcoated promises are not going to happen. It would be nice to hear the truth about important issues because it would help voters make a more informed and logical decision. The truth does not always sound the best or give great amounts of hope but it is reality and if we want to become a better country we need honestly, not sugarcoated lies.
ReplyDeleteThe key line in the essay was,“A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded or foolish.” This is crucial to the story because people need to comprehend that when politicians are running for office they will say anything and everything to win. This short story can be looked at as an eye opener because many people are not aware that politicians promise certain changes that are not actually realistic. I think this is important because the person that is going to represent us, should represent what he promised he would. In all honestly, I do not think a politician will ever be honest because we could not handle hearing a person in power say they will not be able to get us out of debt. However, a person who speaks the truth will be admired but people may think he is weak reason being he does not believe strongly enough that change can happen. Voting for the right person is important, but it is hard to do when they twist the truth.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this essay, I decided that the key line is “A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded or foolish”. In reality, there is no possible way that can be true. No candidate can foresee the actual end results to any choice that is made. So how can they be 100% certain it will work out, if they don’t actual know that? It doesn’t make sense yet voters are attracted to candidates that are assertive and confident that their plans will be successful. The essay states that “an appearance of self-assurance creates a reassuring aura of competence and charisma. It makes people feel better. People are drawn to those who seem most sure of their ideas”. It is natural to have faith in someone who seems confident about their beliefs. But as the essay also states, “being more certain does not make you more right”. I feel that actions speak louder than words. As a voter you can’t really witness any action until someone is elected into office, therefore, you have to rely on words. I rely on the words that mostly apply to me, my family, my life, and what I believe in. I rely on the words that I agree with most. I do believe truth and honesty are most important when dealing with political candidates. Truth and honesty are hard to prove, once again, without action. Until I see these plans and choices that are 100% guaranteed to work actually accomplished, I will not be able to fully believe any candidate.
ReplyDeleteThe key line of this article is “A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded, or foolish”. This article explores the idea of political candidates ability to be honest about tough issues and this line summarizes their conclusion perfectly. Frida Ghitis goal for this article was to impress the importance of being an educated voter. It is so easy to just blindly follow one candidate trusting what they are telling the public is true, but it is much harder to actually research the major issues and decide for yourself if what the candidate is proposing is even possible. I vote for the person who proposes not only the best solution but also the most probable one. Another line that stood out to me was “But beneath the wishful thinking, Americans know that the world is complicated, the economy is challenging, the choices difficult” because I think that this is very true. Most of us know that issues like the economy, unemployment, and world conflicts are not easily fixed problems but it is comforting to people to hear someone say they have all the answers. This is why I think politicians cannot be honest with people; it is unsettling to have a leader that says, “Well, my plan might work or it could completely fail. I have no idea which way it will go, but I hope it works”. The competition and the press would destroy any candidate who did tell the truth.
ReplyDeleteThis essay is all about truth, honesty, and where these concepts fit into politics. With that being said, the key line in the article sates, "A candidate who tells voters he is 100% certain that the choices are clear and his plans will work out is lying, deluded, or foolish." The article focuses on both promises from Obama and Romney and how they can be perceived as lies. The reason this is so is Americans can not deal with gray and blurred lines of certainty. When it comes to politics we would like decisions and speeches to indicate options and outcomes that are black and white. Presidential candidates have to find a balance between being "dreamy" or sounding to certain and confident and telling the truth. A candidate could say I do not know all the answers and my ideas might not work but the listeners tend to not hear this and criticize or praise the ideas they present as if they had no doubt. Both Obama and Romney have to find the balance of being certain and sure in the direction they want to take the country without being overly confident or cocky that it is going to work. When it does, as complications are inevitable, arguments and complications among political parties and citizens with arise. We are basically asking the candidates for presidency to walk a tight rope and if they fall we will ignore anything good they do have to offer. Truth and honesty are definitely important when picking a candidate to vote for. What I am most interesting in though is hearing a candidate say I am not sure how this will play out but here are a few scenarios that could happen and hear is how I will address them. This will give insight to how a candidate will handle complications and difficulties if they were elected to term.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the key line of this essay is that voters should know that politicians lie. Politicians will usually overestimate there abilities about what they can or can not do. If a political candidate says they will do exactly what they say they are going to do, the candidate is usually lying. It is true that honesty should be a big importance in politics but the truth is that it can never be that way. The reason is because no matter what, if a presidential candidate tells the people what they do not want to hear (the truth) no one will ever get elected. Sometimes people need to be lied to in order to have someone in charge that will at least try to get something done. No one wants to hear a president say "I will try to...." they want to hear "I WILL do...". They say these things because they have to give citizens hope, even though it is not true.
ReplyDelete