The importance of Honesty

Just a few half-baked thoughts.

The most important characteristic of any politician in office is honesty--in personal and public life. You cannot be sure of anything else until you are sure of their honor.

Admittedly, it can be hard to find honorable men for office, not because there are few, but because dishonest ones aren't always detectably or consistently dishonest.

But to put it another way--would you rather hire an employee with poor communication skills and something odd growing on their face, or an employee who has bragged about lying to friend or family? Would you prefer to grow up in a home where you're never sure when your parents are lying to you, or in one where they're consistent and honest, even if not perfect?

One of the things that really bothered me about Clinton is that he was patently dishonest, but got left in office. He was willing to lie in his personal life, and clearly to the public as well. What else could he have been willing or able to lie about? It troubles me, deeply, that he wasn't removed from office. I heard a talk show host excuse him: to paraphrase, he said "Come on, he's the president of the United States. Give him a break!" -- Give me a break. I don't want someone who is absolutely trustworthy in office. Yes, I hold men and women of public office to a higher standard, because they have to be in order to stand up to pressures to take advantage of their power or misuse it, even a little.

I would rather have an honest fascist in office than a lying patriot who professed my favorite political opinions.

Nobody in the USA is under the illusion that there aren't liars out there. There are just too many contradictions in the media, in the government, in all aspects of the national infrastructure. Good luck trying to get everyone to agree on who's lying, though.

We need God's help to discern who is trustworthy to hold office.