You're Wrong = Hidden Agenda

I often criticize politicians, but really it's the people's fault. They want all sorts of stuff but don't want to pay for it. Politicians have to be all things to all people (or at least, in our two-party system, a lot of things to 51% of the people). And I question how much a better-educated public would help, since there are smart people on both sides.

Perhaps this makes politicians cynical. Which makes the people cynical. Or is it the other way around? Anyway, that's what I was thinking about when I read the ABC poll about the Terry Schiavo case. I expected the public to be in favor of removing her feeding tube, though not by the overwhelming 63-28 margin. (Some have questioned the poll's wording and they may have a point, but I bet, even with fairer questions, though the margin would be smaller, the result would be the same.) But what surprised me is 67%--a higher number than those who want the tube removed--felt the politicians acting to keep Schiavo alive were doing it for political advantage, and not principle.

This issue seems a heartfelt one to me, and you'd have to be pretty cynical to think a politician would take either side for political gain. But a politician doing something highly unpopular for political gain is really silly. (I realize you sometimes need to throw a sop to your base, but the Congress could have easily kept out of this.)

Incidentally, I'm not even saying cynical politicians are bad things. If all a pol wants is to get reelected, then she'll likely be very responsive. It's those idealists who can really go overboard. Regardless, I wish we'd have debates where we don't waste time arguing about motives (Democrats want to take all your money, environmentalist want to run the world, Republicans want to destroy public education and social security) and try to stick to what the proposed programs actually are and what they'll do.