Credibility vs. Credulity...

Recent events on our political scene call into question the credibility of those yearning for higher office, as well as the credulity of their ardent backers...Merriam-Webster defines "credibility" as "the quality of being believed or accepted as true, real or honest," and "credulity" as "readiness or willingness to believe especially on slight or uncertain evidence"...

The two should complement each other in hand/glove fashion as a voter should be able to accept as fact that a vote is being cast for one who truly represents the voter's beliefs, and not a flim-flam artist whose words only reflect a desire for enough suckers to buy the spiel, and guarantee ascension to office...

A brief overview of former Presidential elections reveals that never has the American voting public had a poorer choice than in the current scene...The last time the American voter had a clear choice of statesmen from which to choose was during the first two Presidential elections...

In 1788, the people went to the polls with a list of candidates who had no declared political party affiliations, and only the people to account to...The choice went to the candidate with the most acceptable vision for the nation's future and the best reputation for getting the job done...

One might argue that Ross Perot had  no political affiliation when he entered the race in 1992, but a stronger argument could prevail that he was only on the ballot to take votes away from George H.W. Bush...In either case, the position went to the candidate with the most believable promises for the greatest number of the gullible...

In my considered opinion, the closest the American voter has come to electing a true statesman again was 1904 as Teddy Roosevelt was chosen...He promised to work toward what was in his heart regardless of how many agreed with him...And once in charge, he showed again why he was considered a leader by so many...

Roosevelt never hid the fact that his party affiliations were more of convenience, rather than strict adherence to a political doctrine set down as planks in a platform by a committee guessing at what would gain the most votes...His party of choice at the time set down the belief that business was what carried America forward...

As President he fought for his belief that the people's needs were the only reason for business to exist, much to the consternation of his party backers who, erroneously again, thought they could keep him in check...Then, even knowing he could have easily won another term, he honored his promise not to seek his party's nomination again...

Our frontrunners this year are two proven liars, both egotists, each concerned only with personal gain and hiding its means of acquisition from public sight...In our representative form of government, each is perceived to have the legislative power to push through a personal agenda while holding out a tin cup for enough votes to "finish the job next time"...

I'll give credit where credit is due, but from our current viper's pit of politicians, I'll only accept cash...At the ballot box the best choice for America's future continues to be "none of the above," but we know the contender who will gather the most votes will be the one deemed the least from a roster of evils, while the loser, as usual, will be our nation's future...

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