The Politician Primer (L-O-N-G)

In case you haven’t guessed, politicians are expedient too, meaning they take the straightest path from where they are to what they want. They also offer some form of “something-for-nothing” that will favor their political base and ensure votes.

It’s all a giant marketing ploy as far as I’m concerned—each party promises to DO something, to FIGHT FOR something, to FIGHT AGAINST something, or DEFEND AGAINST something. In stereotypical Hatfield-McCoy-speak, “Them’s selling words.”

REAL public servants—you know, the few honorable ones—run for office to work for legislation that rewards and encourages saving, investing, and wealth production that society depends on for continued growth and opportunity. An honest politician will work to allow taxpayers to keep more of their hard-earned money, as well as reduce the preponderance of ways people get caught in the traps of government program dependency.

It has been said that politicians are those who think about the next election, and statesmen are those who think about the next generation. Ask yourself who YOUR candidate is watching out for—himself or your grandkids.

The four steps to a political career and life:

1. Getting power through the vote

2. Holding onto power by increasing it or consolidating it

3. Defending and consolidating power

4. Getting re-elected

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Lots and lots of heavy-duty marketing is involved with each and every step, including campaigning for and against others (as well as yourself), writing and voting for and against legislation, campaigning and maneuvering for choice committee assignments, and finding ways to get your fingers in the pot for virtually guaranteed home projects—whether necessary or not. There just isn’t enough free public money to go around, so politicians must fight like dogs to get any scrap they can BECAUSE it serves to feed their political careers from Step One onward.

It’s as if the actual “legislating” part of their jobs is now an afterthought.

Political marketing tactics include negative campaigning, demonizing the opposition, character assassination, and spinning an issue so the underlying facts are not readily seen or understood (until it’s too late). These are the tactics politicians use on us the voters, and on each other. Re-election is vital, because it’s their only means of job security—every two years, someone is up for re-election somewhere, so there isn’t a whole lot of time to get the actual work done. Most of their time is spent campaigning or meeting with campaign staff to engineer the next battle plans.

The desire for political power comes from two possible sources: the appropriation of free money, and societal benevolence. Expedient politicians are only in it for the money, which will serve to shore up their voting base, while benevolent politicians are long-term thinkers (with short-term office cycles and much competition, unfortunately). Long-term thinkers, of which we are in painfully short supply, seek to tap into the expediency of people to increase economic opportunities and prosperity for the greatest number of them.

There are two sides to the political marketing coin: the real reason, and the one that will earn the most votes. This is the best explanation I can give for my use of the terms “fact” and “emotional blackmail,” and every candidate is prone to use whichever one that will most easily win the election for him/her. Expediency is EVERYWHERE!

Politics operates as it does because there is no incentive to do otherwise. In other words (and no doubt you’ve heard this before), you have to practically kill someone to lose a federal job, unless it requires re-election. In the private sector, people get fired instantly for not performing to specified standards, whereas in the public sector, horrific incompetence has grown, festered, and retired over and over again. Politics is often a last resort for people who can’t get hired anywhere else, believe it or not—and why not? By any account, it’s a dream job—working only three days a week, voting yourself a pay raise in the middle of the night as often as you want, shooting down legislation beneficial to the next generations in favor of legislation beneficial to your ongoing success and financial backers, and no incentives or consequences in sight as long as the re-election machine is well-fed and well-lubed.

To keep their machines well-fed and well-lubed, politicians are going to follow the money that comes from special interest groups, who provide incentives in the form of privileges unattainable by satisfying the people in some way. Let’s face it—Jane and John Q. Public, citizen voters, cannot write a check for millions to a particular party, and don’t have the clout to offer free trips around the world or entrance to highly-exclusive events like special interest can. THERE’S the incentive for politicians, and it’s no wonder special interests get the attention they do. Nobody asks who benefits and who pays.

Speaking of incentives, we the people are given some incentives of our very own. Some of these incentives include the “other people’s tax dollars” giveaway (through government programs) and the inclusion of beneficial and stimulative legislation through the tax code (enticing us to start businesses and do more for ourselves). Certain behaviors are rewarded with tax deductions and credits, while other behaviors are rewarded with free medical, housing, and food benefits. All are designed with vote-getting in mind.

A heartless way to look at it all is this way: the parties each represent two very large unions. The Republicans represent those who can do and think for themselves, and are economically productive, and the Democrats represent those who cannot (or will not) do and think for themselves, and may not be as economically productive. Tell me, which ones do you think are more capable of building a life for themselves and their future generations—the ones with the capacity and ability to save, or the ones who don’t?

Because government programs can be voted in or out, increased or decreased with a stroke of a pen, and don’t serve to benefit the politicians themselves, the tax code will ultimately stand the test of time—perhaps not always in the same exact form, but always with incentives and loopholes for all (sounds like the ending of a new Pledge of Allegiance, doesn’t it?).

This is why it’s crucial for you to know the issues, know the voting records, and know the incentives your candidate responds to best before ever casting a vote. If you can’t find the information, or don’t like what you find, then use the fallback position and vote your wallet. This way, at least YOU will have voted incentives for yourself, your money, and the ability to get and make more, just like the jackals in Washington.

Politics should never be about emotion. Politics should be about removing barriers and increasing opportunity. Find and elect those who best fit this bill today and in future years—this is how you get to participate in and influence the political machinery, and it doesn’t take big contributions, free trips, or exclusive events to do it.