The Likeability Guy

How to sift through ALL the B.S. and find the substance!

September 3rd, 2008 Posted in Curt's Articles

Every four years, we find ourselves in an awkward position as Americans.  We are presented with two candidates of whom we are to decide who would be the better leader.

We get bombarded on a daily basis about why each candidate is going to be the greatest President ever.  We are told every four years that THIS election is the most important election of our lives.

Forgive me for saying this, but what a silly process this has become.   Where are the resumes?  Where is the list of REAL accomplishments?

It seems like we have an inaccurate and incomplete way to decide on the leader of the free world.  We get inundated with slanted commercials, have to fight through the media bias, and then are told to vote for person “x”, because person “y” is not really capable.

Geez.  No pressure there.

For me, I think the most amusing part of the whole process is listening to the speeches.  It has almost become like someone running for Student Council in Junior High School.  “I will lower taxes, make it affordable for this, get rid of that, make our enemies respect us, less homework, better vending machines….”

Every candidate for both parties virtually says the same thing.  Who are we supposed to believe?  Well, I have a simple solution.

This is what we should ALL be given.

1. A Complete Resume of Both Candidates (No Fluff-Just the Facts prepared by a neutral 3rd party)
2. A Complete list of Accomplishments (This entails initiatives presented and ability to work as a team player)
3. References from actual people that have benefited from commitments kept by that person (These MUST be references over a period of time of some length that show hands on dedication)

If these items sound familiar, it’s because that is what’s required of any other human being trying to obtain a job.  For some reason, these are not the requirements for the candidates that are running for the Leader of the Free World.

Presidential elections are a great case study on how to learn to sift through all the B.S and find the substance.   There is a great deal of substance to be found in these elections, but it seems to get buried in the political “junk”.

Let’s look at a few things:

• If a candidate consistently speaks of doing things when they are elected, but has zero history of taking that action at any point in their life, they are probably not going to change the world.  This is called B.S.
• If a candidate has done nothing of relevance in the recent past, but speaks of great accomplishment in their distant past, perhaps this person is beyond their prime.  This is called B.S.
• If a candidate speaks of lowering your taxes, but also presents many new initiatives and new high cost programs…your taxes WILL be going up.  Don’t be fooled.  This is called B.S.

How to find the Truth

The proof, as they say, is in the pudding.  Forget ALL the rhetoric and tune out the media.  (Yes, it’s tough.)

1. Look at actual accomplishments.
2. Listen to what their co-workers have said about them. (Post-candidacy comments from co-workers are meaningless, as they will be biased.  Look for comments that were made about them before they ran for President.  This involves some simple searching on Google.)

Focus on Character, Integrity, and Values.  (Everything else is just clutter that is designed to manipulate the election process.)

Character is not defined by someone else, it is not defined in a promotional speech, and it is not defined in an advertisement.  Character is defined by the body of work you have performed in your life, personal experiences that have shaped your views, and in the way you treat everyone you encounter.

Integrity is not a buzzword.  It is what you do when everyone is looking and it is what you do when nobody is looking.  When those two match, you have integrity.  When they are different and they change constantly, you have no integrity.

Values are your compass.  They give you direction when you are confused and they show you the path when you are lost.  Values don’t change.  They are constant and they are consistent.  Values are your facts.  They are what you know to be true in your heart.