So I was listening to news on the radio today, and there was a “close personal friend” of former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura on talking about how “the Body” is thinking of entering the race as an independent for the Senate seat that just opened up in Minnesota. He seems to be “angry” about the positions both the Republican and Democratic candidates are taking on the issues.
The point was brought up that even though Ventura hasn’t officially announced anything, polls are putting him at about 28% of the vote right now. However, he is a polarizing candidate, and people seem to love him or hate him. The friend said that Ventura’s best quality was that “even if you don’t agree with him, you know where he stands… He speaks his mind and doesn’t sugar-coat things.” I remember Bush beating that same horse into the ground when he was running against Kerry, who had been painted by his opponents as a wishy-washy flip-flopper.
Now, I respect and admire honesty and integrity as much as anyone else, but I’m sorry, what he said is a horrible selling point for someone running for office, especially for the candidate’s “best quality.” On any given day, I would rather vote for someone who has even the slightest chance of voting my way on public policy over someone I know with certainty will vote against my beliefs. That’s just pragmatism.
But even taking a step back, you have to realize that representative democracy is an exercise in group decision-making. To be a good representative, you need to be able to examine multiple perspectives, be willing to work with others towards compromise, and to just be tactful. Hold tightly to your own goals, but you have to accept that change is gradual in our system.
Hardline stance-taking is nothing more than bullshit posing, because it’s all about the median voter.