BradHoffmann.com

You are a target – actually we’re all targets with the barrage of political ads dominating network advertising airtime. The other morning, I actually spent some time in between repetitions listening to the various distortions and claims. Amazing! This is what we’ve come to in American politics – tearing down the opponent rather than casting vision. Every observed morning spot touted misgivings and failings about the opposition. Not a single commercial aired promoting the candidate’s vision or aspirations for America. Every advertisement was candidate endorsed of course – and we call that leadership?

The kicker in all of this – the embellished claims (falsehoods) by the campaigns. The candidates approve of distorting statements out of context, lying about business records, and inventing derogatory facts about the opposition. Numerous sites like Politifact and Factcheck.org were created to bring clarity to the political field. Unfortunately, while helpful, these sites (and others) present biased and partisan approaches.

So here’s the thought, be careful about what you hear and give thought to what you believe. The politicians are banking on “sound bite” politics. They don’t think you are smart enough or astute enough to check the facts or be educated on the issues. Prove them wrong! If the candidate can distort the facts in their favor and gain your vote, they’ve done their job. But, are “sound bite” politicos really worth electing? If they can’t tell you the truth along the campaign trail, how in the world do you expect to hear the truth when they are in office – basically unaccountable? How I long for a candidate that’ll tell the truth – that’s real leadership.