Summer CE Week #4: “OPEN FORUM”
Questions for your online discussion and deliberation:
Should the personal side of politicians be fair game for the media and the public’s attention during a political race. Defend your position.
Are politicians, as public figure/icons, held to a higher set of moral standards than us mere mortals? Should they be?
What if the Edward’s scandal had been McCain’s or Obama’s? At this juncture in the political season, what would have been the political ramifications? What should they be?
Did the MSM (Mainstream Media) drop the ball on this story? Explain. What will be the result of future media coverage and the breaking of this story now?
In response to the second question regarding whether or not public figures/ icons are held to a higher set of standards, I believe that that is true. Public figures most often times than not chose the lifestyle that they lead — a lifestyle constantly subjected to the brutality of the media, a lifestyle with little privacy and sometimes little respect, a lifestyle where its never “personal” but rather it’s always business. The business may be show business or political business or any other high-profile business but altogether it’s a business that does put them in a position of being vulnerable and the one’s we chastise to make ourselves feel more secure in our own lives. A political example would be the infamous Bill Clinton scandal in which his choice to have an affair with Miss Monica resulted in a downward spiral of his presidential career. Other men and women make that very same choice everyday. But as “mere mortals” †he worst that we face is possible a slap on the hand, a slightly damaged reputation or maybe a divorce. When living in the limelight the mistakes made around the world everyday, could be a mistake an icon has to live with for the rest of their life on every magazine they see. I don’t believe that mentality is fair as it not only exploits and hurts but ultimately belittles the common man to think for some reason what he is doing is not nearly as important or not nearly as bad as what for instance Britney Spears is doing. I mean I didn’t shave my head, give up my children and dance half-naked for the world to see repetitively… so somehow now I can feel more secure about my life. Our emphasis and exploitation of public figures is really a security blanket we need to shed.
The notion that the people of the USA need to know everything about our politicians is false. Technically they are (or should be) on the same level as us, except for them representing our voices more directly. The fact that Bill Clinton and now Edwards had their political carreers smashed because of some personal affairs is crap. Just because they are prominent characters doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be allowed to have a personal life. I do believe though that politicains who are corrupt in the sense of embezzlement of National funds should be dug up because it is directly affecting the people. But the fact that Clinton and Edwards are being ruined because of personal choices has no place in the news. In the case of exGovernor Spitzer of New York, he was taking part in illegal prostitution which he should get in trouble for. But personal choices should not be cited in the media as downfalls. Politicans are merely and ideally the voices of the people. They aren’t any different from us. The media doesn’t attack laypeople that have affairs. Personal lives and politics should remain separate.
I don’t think personal information should be fair game for the media during a political race. If the politician wanted everyone to know about their personal life, then that is their choice. But it isn’t fair if someone blurts personal information to the press and uses it against a politician’s political campaign. I think that everyone deserves to have their personal lives kept private, and the media needs to respect that. But I do think that since they are politician, they should be accustomed to the press using personal information against them. I feel sorry for the people who have their lives and careers destroyed by bad press, but if they hadn’t done the “act” in the first place they wouldn’t have to face the disastrous consequence.
I think that politicians are help to a higher set of moral standards, because they represent the United States during important debates and meetings. But I think that everyone should be held to a certain level of moral standards. I also think that everyone is human and makes bad decisions sometime in their life, and people shouldn’t be condemned for these bad decisions.
I think that if the scandal had been McCain’s or Obama’s, people would have less confidence in them and they would probably lose votes. I don’t think that one bad decision should have extreme political ramifications.
I think that since Edwards admitted he had an affair, this incidence will always be associated with him. He may not have a political career left once the media is finished covering this story.
I have to disagree with Vanessa. It is just fine to be very critical on the candidates and hold them higher than mere mortals. If Britney Spears shaves her head does it affect you, no. If President Bush gets a Mohawk it will affect you dramatically, how will other nations view it? Politicians run the country and we want the best. We want as few mistakes as possible because they will effect us greatly and to just blow off some of their flaws is ridiculous. I do agree that we blow some things out of proportion but to ignore things completely is not right. It’s real simple, do you hold a steak at a two star resturaunt at the same level as a five star resturaunt?
Mr. Daniel Kessler,
I see your point in why it is important that we be mindful of politicians and the people representing our country across the globe. However, I would just like to clarify that the Britney Spears statement was just an example of the silly exploitation of the media not necessarily an argument saying the Britney Spears and Obama should be on the same playing field. I understand the difference in their roles. I also understand that whether a politician or another form of celebrity, broadcasting personal lives and mistakes that all of us can make is unnecessary and all equally reflects on the nature of our society. I agree with Michael when he says that politicians are the voice of the people and therefore should still be considered people, just like us. Our country should not be idolizing any public figure, or destroying their lives for that matter anymore than they would the common man. If we are the “mere mortals than what does that make them? Gods? I certainly hope not.
In response to the first question, should the personal side of politicians be fair game for the media… I think not. First of all, why does the media want to get into the personal lives of the politicians running for president? Well, because they want all the information they can get to get more viewers or readers. But mainly because they know if they find some dirt that people will become more interested and in the long run earn more money. That is really all it is about. Another reason that the media should not be able to display the personal side of a politician is because that is not what it is about. For example, what would being Catholic have to do with government spending? Is the media trying to sell us a president by who they really are or what the candidate will do as a president? And I am sure those involved in the media wouldn’t want their personal lives displayed to the whole country either whether they were perfect people or not. So why should they (the media) tell the public about the candidates lives when it really isn’t necessary. The public needs the facts that are useful when it comes time to vote, not worthless information.
Use of the personal lives of politicians in the media and to grab attention isn’t fair at all. If it has been an on going thing in this person’s life and they have been doing it for years and years and they have been doing a great job and people like them it shouldnt matter. For example Bill Clinton, we all remember the whole big Clinton-Lewinsky affair ok so yeah it was very immoral for Bill Clinton to cheat on his wife but to this day people still wish he were in office. He was the first president in decades to have an economic surplus; he worked a lot on foreign affairs like having Yasser Arafat in the White House on multiple occasions and was the closest to making peace with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Another example one that we would all know is the Jim West look at the crazy scandal he was in and people are calling him the best mayor Spokane has seen in years. So I think if people are going to use politicians personal lives as something to pin them on that is a really low blow. If they are doing a good job let them continue with it and leave them alone until it gets them into jail or something that is so utterly humiliating where they need to resign.
As ironic as it may seem, the personal lives of candidates and politicians are certainly fair game in the eyes of the media. Perhaps it’s just human nature to inject chaos into a suitably normal situation. Indeed, the personal and political aspects of their lives should be kept separate, but the media (and most obviously tabloids) thrive on human flaw. Candidates and politicians, therefore, should be held to essentially higher standards. The major consequence: their lives are basically on 24/7 broadcast. We, as “mere mortals” (Open Forum), should strive to verify the authenticity of political scandals and rumors. Oftentimes, rumors are cooked up by opponents in an effort to turn public opinion in their own favor. The public lives of politicians and celebrities are outstandingly similar with respect to society’s reaction. Beneficial accomplishments and events on their parts are praised, yet when any particular scandal erupts, the media dives in like vultures to the kill. Although politicians may not appreciate so much bad press against them, they cannot deny that they choose such a lifestyle for themselves when they entered the dangerous and manipulative world of politics. We certainly hope that our future president will be able to present a likeable, courageous, and determined face for the next four years of history.
Use of the personal lives of politicians in the media and to grab attention isn’t fair at all. If it has been an on going thing in this person’s life and they have been doing it for years and years and they have been doing a great job and people like them it shouldnt matter. For example Bill Clinton, we all remember the whole big Clinton-Lewinsky affair ok so yeah it was very immoral for Bill Clinton to cheat on his wife but to this day people still wish he were in office. He was the first president in decades to have an economic surplus; he worked a lot on foreign affairs like having Yasser Arafat in the White House on multiple occasions and was the closest to making peace with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Another example one that we would all know is the Jim West look at the crazy scandal he was in and people are calling him the best mayor Spokane has seen in years. So I think if people are going to use politicians personal lives as something to pin them on that is a really low blow.
I believe that a politicians personal life shouldn’t be stressed in the media nearly as much as it is, but if they can’t explain themselves in the matters that they have lived with all of their lives, then how can we trust them not to cover up or avoid explanations on the national level? However, if they can handle the consequences of their own lives and keep it separated from the tasks that are at hand for the better benefit of the nation, than a politician’s personal life or affairs really has no motivation for me or would carry any baggage. If they can successfully handle their own problems plus everyone else’s while in office, then that only proves they are responsible enough to take the initiative to correct their own mistakes and still carry on successfully with the position they were elected to do. Plus, these kinds of “scandals” are plastered everywhere by the same magazines that report on false gossip about Celebrities and the same old scum that is now just grotesquely annoying and ignored by many people because they can’t trust the credibility of these “scandal seeking” reporters. A minor incident may be reported incorrectly or be over dramatized for hopes of gaining more, interested readers in effect. My biggest concerns would be if the scandals in our government were revolved around breaking the traditional values of America: anti-Americanism, a lack of patriotism, cover-ups from the public, a dictatorship, lack of class and wit in presentation, or other odd mannerisms that could be a direct threat or disease to the fellow people of the politician. Politicians are just as human as any other normal person; they just got luckier on their breaks to make it to the top, and hopefully, they may have gained some intelligence to successfully carry out their position. With these conditions, it is how they handle the consequences of their actions and how they handle the press that is the deciding factor; the act that was committed is most often not going to be that factor and shouldn’t be analyzed so closely.
In response to whether the personal side of politicians should be open to the public, I have to take the opposite side of all of you. Just call me a black sheep.
I do agree that the way the media exploits these personal sides, picking out the nitty- gritty to make a good story, is just plain low. Hypocritical, in fact. I’m sure that if we looked into the personal affairs of some of our reporters we would be shocked. However, I would want to have a genuine look into a candidate’s private side instead of just basing my decision off of how suave they look on tv. For instance, if you found out that the guy you were going to vote for had been earlier indicted for murder, robbery, or abuse…would you vote for him? Sure, the media turns even the tiniest fault into a scandal, but I would want to know before I trust my country into the hands of a man for four or more years if he was worthy of the responsibility, privately and publicly. In “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch, the honorable lawyer and father of the protagonist Scout, was known to be “the same in his house as he is on the public streets.” If I knew that a candidate’s private life matched what he wanted to do in office, I would sure feel a lot more safe in putting my trust in this next president.
Rachel, I understand that politicians do put themselves into the position to be scrutinized, but what does that do? The media is constantly revealing the bad in these candidates as most of us already know. Now if the media wanted to show the good in the lives of the two candidates that may be different and that’s what it should be about. What will this president do right is what the media should be portraying, because of course they are going to screw up and make mistakes. We don’t think they should, but they do. Therefore, if the media wants to tell the people about their personal lives in a good light, then they can go ahead. If you can’t say anything nice, than don’t say anything at all.
“The media is constantly revealing the bad in these candidates as most of us already know” (Johanna Stafford). In response to the previous statement: good point, Jo. It would be great if reporters would leave the personal lives of our candidates out of the main picture, but I’m guessing that won’t happen anytime soon. Consequently, the election would be fairer (and probably less biased) if the focus were actually on politics. That way, when Election Day arrives, the average voter could vote from the heart and mind, instead of judging the candidates based on previously heard news stories and events. Of course our politicians are going to screw up eventually, so the only question is: when will it happen, and what will the resulting response be?
In response to the second question, I do believe that politicians, as well as others who live in stardom, are held to a higher level then us “mere mortals”. Us common folk don’t have to worry about our lives or reputations being ruined by the media. If something we say or do gets out, it is simply to those we know and are around on a daily basis. As for those living in the limelight, anything, whether it is about their personal life or their job, and everything can and normally are made public by the media. Though they never ask for that kind of attention and/or publicity, they know what they are getting themselves into.
Another reason I would have to say that politicians (and of course all other “celebrities”) are held to a higher standard is because they are supposed to be the ones that can make a difference. They are the ones who are supposed to do the things that a middle class person can’t. These people have the power to change things, they possess the ability to do things that no one else has the guts to do. They also have to make sure that we (the U.S.) don’t look like idiots to other nations. They are supposed to know all the right things to say, that no one else can say, that no other person has the authority to say. We all hold them responsible to the well-being of this country, that is why we want the best. Those who are in office now, WE chose them, WE decided on who would be the best for the job, and now, because we put all our faith and support into these people, we only want one thing in return… for them to make sure we don’t look bad.
As a “mere mortal”, I look up to these people for the things they do and can do. If it weren’t for them, then I would have to be the one doing it instead, and I don’t know how to do that.
So, as a “mere mortal”, I will always look up to those who have the boldness to get out there and change the world for the well-being of everyone else other than themselves.
Are politicians, as public figure/icons, held to a higher set of moral standards than us mere mortals? Should they be?
Of Course!!! They place themselves in a position to be constantly examined and picked apart. There are NO secrets when it comes to running for any kind of political office, people will still find hidden dirt and open up your closet. It doesn’t matter how nice and charismatic you are, if you have done something in the past, even a small mistake, and America finds out about it, you might as well just excuse yourself from the embarrassment of running. Now to ask the reverse of this question, should political figures be held to any LESS of a moral standard than the rest of us?? Should they be pardoned for their wrongdoings?! No, of course not. They are and will be scrutinized for their every move. Whether it was in the past or if it’s going on in the present. For example, look at this affiliation Obama has with this “Priest from the underworld”. He will never be able to dig himself out of the hole that caused for him. He will be judged, and harshly criticized, to say the least. And rightly so, we need to make sure we carefully screen all presidential and political candidates so we don’t turn America over to a wacko.
I think that politician’s personal life during a campaign or any type of a political race should be left alone. However, knowing some of a politician’s background could help the people visualize somewhat fair picture of what a candidate would be like as a leader. On the other hand, there are times when media goes to far, as to uncover some long deep secrets that politicians have, but mostly it is done for entertainment, and is usually a false accusation.
When seeing a candidate on tv, we usually see him as a dressed up man discussing our country’s domestic or foreign issues. However, knowing the other side of a potential president could reveal the true type of person he is, instead of a man in a suit with an American flag pinned to his jacket. As an example, when reading Obama’s book, it was nice for me to learn about the type of family background he came from as well as his family life. He did not have a father to grow up with, for his parents got divorced when he was only three years of age. Knowing how much of an inspiration his mother had been for him perhaps encourages single mothers to be more of heroines to their sons. In other words I think that media should know its limits when getting involved in people’s, be it a movie star or a potential president, personal lives. They need to know when to keep their distance and when to publish everything they hear.
In response to Johanna’s comment, I would have to agree with you saying that the media needs to find as much dirt on candidates as possible in order to keep their business running, otherwise they would go out of business. The more articles on someone a journalist posts, be it a movie star or a political candidate, the more rating would that publication receive and the more competition it would become to the other. As I have mentioned before, a lot of media companies go too far in their research, ending up with false accusations against a celebrity. Nevertheless, whenever there is money involved, most journalists are highly motivated to do anything in order to get it.
In response to question 1:
The public should be aware of what our representation does, however, the extent that it is drug into the public should, in my opinion, be controlled. There should be a public standard that all politicians are held to; they should be open and honest to a certain extent but they should be allowed some level of privacy. I don’t think that something like their sexuality should matter, unless it leads to something more serious that is breaking a law or if they are abusing their position in any way. It is incredibly unfortunate that looking back history shows that it seems when a politician starts to do good things they are shaken by tragedy or scandal or something else. Presidents Lincoln and Kennedy were assassinated; President Clinton and our own Mayor West were both taken down by scandal, all of whom were doing some of the best work in years. Personal lives just got out of control for those two men and the media snatched it up and took them down with no mercy. It’s a horrible happening but it’s all too frequent today and it’s not likely to stop any time soon if ever so in my opinion if a candidate has skeletons in their closet I suggest they are open about it from the get go and don’t let it take them down at a time when it matters.
In response to the first question I must say that I think it important that we know exactly who our candidates are, what they stand for, where they come from, how they were raised and also how they are personally. I think a person who leads such a powerful nation should be trusted. How do we trust people? We know every thing about them. I wouldn’t want a president who we didn’t know everything about because it could potentially be dangerous. I think for our safety it is important that we have a leader who we can trust and who won’t double cross our forefathers who worked so hard to create a government and a nation that runs so successfully.
On the other hand public figures are often torn apart by the media. In hardball it often stated that a reporters job is to get a good story. A good story is usually bad and dirty. That’s what the media strives on. I disagree when the media twists words and twists stories just to sell some newspapers or get more public veiwing. But for a person who has such an important job, we need to be sure we elect someone who is honest and able to be truthful about his mistakes. I would rather know everything about a presedent, where he came from and how he was raised because that is what often defines us. I would rather know more, than less. If a person can’t handle this intense spotlight, then i suggest he doesn’t become presedent.
In response to the second question about the candidates being held at a higher standard or not, I think yes, to a certain degree. The only problem with this question is that it suggests (at least to me) that the candidates running are not “mere mortals,” and the rest of the public is. And I do not agree that Obama or McCain are icons. It seems that we are setting them up to be gods when they are really just “mere mortals” like ourselves. So should we hold them to higher standards? When it comes to honesty, trustworthiness, and being honorable than yes, we should. But to go beyond that and say that either McCain or Obama should be held to higher standards is not right. God put fathers and mothers in charge of children, managers in charge of employees, Pastors in charge of their congregation, and Presidents in charge of the people. A President should be held to the same standards as those who are put in charge of others. So to go as far as expecting them to be held at higher standards is wrong. But as a leader of a United States, once again I do believe we should hold him (or her) to higher standards of honesty and trustworthiness.
Politicians choose to be in the lime light when they decided to be politicians. In choosing to be a politician it is fair game to exploit any part of their life. Politicians represent the people who voted them into office so we should get to know what is going on in their lives. The choices and morals that they make in their personal life can reflect the choices that they will make as a politician. I do not believe that politicians have a higher set of moral standards that they have to follow. They have the same set of standards as every other American, except everything that they do is under a microscope and is blown up for public scrutiny. The National Inquirer is the number one selling magazine in the world, (thank you Mr. Shultz) because people like to read about scandals, affairs and mistakes that the celebs make. I do not blame the mainstream media for trying to make money by selling stories. If the same Edwards scandal would have happened to either McCain or Obama it would have ruined their chance of becoming president. It is a matter of trust and moral character. Edwards had it coming to him; it is unbelievable that he would try to have an affair while the media was following him around everywhere.
Should the personal aspects of a politician’s life be made available to the public? Yes, it should. The real question is to what extent this should be allowed. How far should the media go? The public should truly know who they are voting for. Are they voting for a person who is the “perfect” candidate, one with seemingly good values or a person with history of violence? People need to be able to trust their leaders. People should know who the politician really is, but the media does tend to exaggerate matters; small, negligible faults are blown out of proportion. That isn’t fair to the public – or the politician. The media should be exposing a politician’s life for the benefit of the public, not to disgrace and humiliate a person. And some matters should just be left unspoken of. Does the public REALLY need to know if a politician went through a divorce? No, unless that certain politician abused their spouse, or did something of that nature. Does the politician’s sexual orientation really matter? Not if it doesn’t affect their leadership capabilities. In revealing personal aspects, much care needs to be taken, and it should be done with both the public and the politician in mind.
I am responding to the second and partially third question as well: I would have to say that yes, politicians are, and should be, held to a higher set of moral standards then, as Mr. Kautzman worded it, use “mere mortals”. Anyone in a position of leadership or even a position of high scrutiny, such as movie stars and other celebrities, should know that people look up to them as their examples. Politicians need to own up to that responsibility. They should not be allowed to continue to hold office if they can not handle themselves in their personal lives. Edwards becomes a good example of this. He had and affair, lied to his wife, lied to the nation, and he is not even sorry for what he did. Sure, he broke off the affair when his wife found out, but most people would if their spouses found out the truth. It is disgusting that the media made a huge deal about the incident when Vice President Cheney accidentally shot his hunting partner and yet I have heard very little about Edwards’affair. This may be due to the fact that this press was released at an inopportune time: during the Olympics. It is horrible the amount of corruption and moral filth that is found among our politicians. As leaders and runners of our great nation, they should have to set good examples for the children, teens, and adults of our nation. Last year in English Mr. Ganahl took a survey to see how many people aspired to be president when they grow up. I do not recall a single hand being raised. It is sad when the most pristine job in the nation is not desirable to the elite students of this country.
To answer the first question in this article, I believe that the personal life of politicians should be wide open to the media. The media should know about the politician because they are the ones who want to support our country, and they are putting themselves out there for the whole country to know. If I was going to vote for someone who is willing to support our country, I would want to know every little detail about this person so I can make the right decision. The candidates could possibly be putting on a front when they are speaking on television, so with the media going deep into their personal lives, it would let their true colors shine for the world to see. Along with the media’s invasion of personal information, they should not twist information and we all know they are prone to do that. Could there ever be an absolutely true story from the media? Hopefully the stories of candidates are all true so our country knows what we are getting ourselves into.
In response to the second question, I believe that politicians should NOT be viewed higher because before they were elected for their job, they were just normal people. Just because they are “big men on campus” doesn’t mean they should be viewed as higher than everyone else.
“Are politicians, as public figure/icons, held to a higher set of moral standards than us mere mortals? Should they be?”
Well, yes, they are held to a higher set of morals. Have you ever seen a successful politician or other figure that had the moral of some big city hoodlum? No. People respect people with good morals. Leaders need to be flawless. Well, that’s simply impossible, but they should try to be flawless. People follow leaders. That’s a fact everyone can agree with. But what some leaders don’t realize is that, even their smallest mess-ups, show that it is ok to do that. That everyone else can commit the same action. Well, if it is a large mistake, the media just picks apart the target piece by piece until all that’s left is the politician’s heap of bones. I think that leaders should always have a higher set of morals. If you’re going to lead millions of people, you should be a super human, particularly in ethics. If you’re not ready rise above the bar of what everyone else does, then get out of a position of leadership.
Should the personal side of politicians be fair game for the media and the public’s attention during a political race. Defend your position.
Well, I feel like people should know the background of a person that nearly 300 million people are entrusting their lives with. But then again, people change. A kid might have a felony charge when they are sixteen. But now they’re sixty and haven’t done one crime since then. Well, the media always blows these single incidences out of proportion, and that’s the price you pay for being in a position of leadership. But yes, people should know all about the background of a president’s life.
In Response to Annika:
There are so many ways a person is able to hide who they truly are during a political race. I don’t think the media has a right to every personal detail of a candidate’s life, but I do believe there are certain aspects that the public should be able to see. The way the media hounds celebrities is not what I am saying but some insight would be helpful. Besides, if they are as good as they claim to be during the race, why should they hide the way they live? Take the Edward’s scandal for instance. If he would have been nominated as a candidate for president and then this came out, he would have, or should have, not been allowed to continue in his pursuit for the Presidency. Our politicians should be expected to live lives that would make them good role models to the younger generations of our nation.
I am going to become a black sheep as well I guess.
In response to Jordan Yaeger:
I agree with you in the aspect that individual mistakes may cause a leader to look very bad. But in comparison to other individuals who make the same exact mistakes (we are only human afterall) these mistakes aren’t so bad. Ya, Clinton did (discuss foreign policy w/) 2 chicks at one time. But you gotta give him props for that. I read somewhere that politicians tend to have more affairs than other people because it shows a sign of power, of dominance, something all politicians want to show off. But politicians should try to keep their slate as clean as possible their whole lives. That’s about all they can do. Either way, the media is going to get ahold of something.
During a political race, I think it is only fair that personal information of candidates is used by the media. This is because representation of our country should not be taken lightly. We the people should be aware of these candidates backgrounds, whether the information is gratifying or appalling, it becomes crucial to the decision making process. This creates the question of whether the information beginning received is truthful. Media tends to corrupt society with false stories and accusations that can harmfully cause a candidate to loose an election. In theory, the media has ultimate control over the way the public views something. It is up to us to depict what is true and what is not. Personal information is needed in order for us to make a sufficient choice in who may bring our country to the forefront of success and create growth within our lives.
As a politician, an icon, or any public figure for that matter, you are constantly holding the publics attention. These people become role models, displaying leadership and responsibility skills that echo through the minds of many. I believe that these icons should be held to a higher set of morals than us mere mortals for the reasons listed above. Although a standard should be set and expectations high, our society tends to lack in understanding this.
Regarding everyone’s argument that the media should not get into candidate’s personal lives… let’s just pretend that a candidate who was really popular had a horrific personal life. They were a manipulator, but the media stayed out of it because for once they believed that the candidate’s life was none of their business. Then this candidate got elected president and made horrible decisions and lied about everything… or was just a bad person.
The media isn’t ALWAYS wrong. I mean, come on… we need some personal information to decide who this person is and if we want to put the country in their hands.
In response to Kathrine’s comment, why do we need to know about what a candidate has done before? That is all in the past and a President is looking at the present and the future. And I strongly believe that most people living in the states want to live in the present and the future instead of dwelling on the past. Once again, personal information shouldn’t be necessary to help people decide who to vote for because that is not what it is about. Yeah we may want to look at their values, but not if they were bad little boys. America wants their candidates to be almost angels (which would never) but need to accept what they are given. For now: McCain and Obama.
In response to Kathrine, I would have to disagree on both her arguments. For one, no one’s life should be made COMPLETELY public by the media no matter if the public should know what kind of person we would be voting for. Just as Alexa put it, their personal lives should be made public to a certain extent. I mean, I would want to know if my prospective candidate went to jail or abused his/her spouse, things like that should be made known. I would want to know if my prospective candidate has issues with money, not that they went on vacation to Brazil for the weekend. Some things just seem critical to know while others don’t. What would it matter if their favorite color is pink, or they like to go to the park with their kids during the week? That’s none of my business or anyone else’s for that matter. Just so long as they are a decent person along with whatever else is required, I don’t want to know let alone, need to know anything that is none of my business, and that should be the same for everyone else.
In theory, the personal side of a politician’s life should not be a contributing factor in a political race. I think that the main idea behind a political race is to determine is most suited for the desired job based on relevant information. In everyday life, an average person is not likely to get fired from a job or not hired because they had an affair. For most people, their personal life is expected to be left at home when they arrive at their job. However, in actuality, it is nearly impossible to remove that aspect from the view of the media and that of the public in the realm of politics. Politics is an entirely different playing field. It is placed in view in order to allow for an attack against a candidate if it is negative, or it is used as an elevating factor as to why they are a good candidate for the job. So, it is not really a matter of should the personal life of a politician be fair game as much as it is a matter of learning to deal with the fact that every aspect of a politician’s life is fair game in a way that is beneficial.
In response to Claudia Burton’s comments I do think that the public deserves to know about a political candidate, as long as that information pertains to something important in the political campaign. People don’t need to know about a candidate’s life as a child, or where they grew up. Information that would be important is what experience they have in economic policy or how experienced they are in leadership roles. I think more people would be interested in the candidates experience rather than unimportant information. I think that if people know the important facts about a candidate, they will learn to trust them. For example, why should it matter if a candidate grew up without a mother or father? This shouldn’t help determine whether the candidate is prepared to lead the country. We do deserve to know if they have experience or if the have secrets that damage their career. But if it doesn’t pertain to something important we don’t need to know about it. Everyone needs to have privacy in their lives and people don’t need to know everything about everyone!
In response to David Marshall:
David, I also agree that public figures are held to a higher set of standards. They should be. If someone is going to lead a nation, with tons of people looking up to them, they should have high morals. That is why leaders are leaders – they are chosen because they are “different”. People can trust them, look to them for advice, or even look to them for hope. The service academies, for example, set extremely high standards for their cadets. These cadets aren’t necessarily going to graduate to become “public icons”, but they will be leaders nonetheless. Starting out as high school graduates, they are molded into officers with integrity, honesty, and good character as their code.
Yes, public icons are held to a higher set of standards, as they should be. These people set examples for their nation and other nations as well. Though an icon should already have high morals, they are somewhat forced to, or they NEED to, in a way. The media is constantly searching for a fault. Leaders, especially political leaders, can’t afford the media destroying their reputations.
TO KATHRINE KRUSE….
To my understanding, you misinterpruted what the second question was asking. The question wasn’t asking you to decide wheither an icon should be viewed “higher” than the public but if they should require a higher set of morals. If you did answer this question correctly, I completely disagree with your answer. They are (refering to politicans) “big men on campus” therefore they should be held fully accountable for their actions and are made the center of attention. Because of this, superior ethics should be displayed compared to the normal couch potatoe american. Not only should our society have elevated standards for our icons of the world, but we should embrace their morals and incorporate them into our lives. Maybe then we will all come to a full understanding.
In response to Rebecca Rathbun…
In theory, the personal side of a politician’s life SHOULD be a contributing factor in a political race. I like your comparison of a regular American and their duties going to a regular job. You are absolutely correct. They are not required to share information containing their personal lives. In fact, almost all regular jobs and employers do not wish to here of these things anyways. But that is just the thing….being a politician is not just a regular occupation. These people’s lives must be invaded. It is unavoidable and most invigorating to those working within the Media. They feed off of it and in return regurgitate it to society….with a few twists here and there.
I believe that politicians should be held to slightly higher standards than most, because we don’t want some corrupt, inept, and just plain bad person to have a hand in decisions that affect every one of us. I don’t think though that every little mistake a person has made is “fair game” for an opponent, or the media to use against a person. We are all human, which means that we all make mistakes. No one is perfect, no matter how hard we may try. So what if someone did some stupid thing when they were twenty. Would you really care if it was the CEO of a large corporation? No. I think that the media holds politicians to higher standards then the rest of the population, because they are basically running our country, but I think that they take things way too far most of the time. I really could care less about some wild night that a candidate had when they were 19 or 20. They were young and stupid like most 19 or 20 year olds are. They have obviously grown up and matured. It really shouldn’t matter what one person did 20+ years ago. Now as for the Edwards scandal; I believe that if it had happened to McCain or Obama, there would have been practically no chance left for them to win. America doesn’t like to see the people leading their country cheating on their wife and fathering a child. I think that either one of them would have to try very, very hard to make up for that. I do find it sad though that candidates have to seem nearly flawless in order for them to advance in politics. Everyone has flaws, and has made mistakes in their life.
Opening up your personal life to everyone isn’t exactly the ideal idea. Everyone one has skeletons in the closest and no one wants those secrets to come out and all of the sudden covered by the media. I know I have skeletons in my closest that I don’t want my all of my friends to know. Yea only my closest friends know which happened to be a very small and select crowd. For the media to have complete and total access to all political candidates could not only ruin their lives but also proved to have flaws for every possible candidate and everyone else in this country. If the media is allowed to use personal information the only way we would have a clean candidate would be to have a baby run or a small child that hasn’t had the chance to create the skeletons.
In response to the second question, all political figures are held at a higher standard like public figures and icons. They are held at this standard because they are in control of laws that pass or don’t pass for the future of our country, they also have the power to make changes that will better or make conditions worst in our hometowns/ country. They must be held at this high standard because they are ultimately in control of our country.
Are politicians held to a higher set of moral standards than us mere mortals?
Every few years we elect someone to represent us as a country. We want the best of the best for this job… someone who will represent us well by upholding normal moral standards that we live by today. We wouldn’t go and pick up some random guy off the street and ask him: “hey… you want to be the next president?” We want to choose someone who knows what they’re doing and won’t make a fool of us. It might be just me, but i think that if someone wants to represent about three hundred and one million people, they should be held to a somewhat higher standard than the average human. Does this make them gods? No. It merely makes them what we should strive to be: good, clean, decent individuals with integrity, morals, and standards. We want the best of us to represent us. Yes, they are still human, and as humans, they will make mistakes, but i think we all would rest a little bit easier at night knowing that we are being led by someone who makes fewer mistakes than the rest of us.
In response to Johanna:
I agree that, although it is very unlikely to happen, it would be great if the media chose to put some focus on the positive aspects of a politician’s private life. We hear constantly about politicians who are found cheating on their spouses, but we never read about those who take time out of their busy schedules to make room for their loved ones every day. We could all list the names of politicians who are caught evading tax collections, but we have to make an effort to learn the names of those who are donating large chunks of money to people in need. If the media chooses to give us a glimpse into the private lives of politicians, they could try to make an effort to ensure that they are not always showing a dark, distorted view.
In response to the first question, politicians’ personal lives should be fair game for the media and the public’s attention. They know that; that’s what they signed on for. The way a politician acts in office will undoubtedly reflect his or her personal life. If a politician has an affair or embezzles money, it shows that the politician doesn’t mind sacrificing good morals or values in pursuit of desire. That same politician might care more about money than human life: go to war without proper respect. That same politician might ignore personal liberties; ignore the Constitution, because he or she doesn’t believe in it wholeheartedly. The way people act when they aren’t playing the role of a public figure could show the best or the worst in a person. Then, when this person is playing the role of a public servant and he or she is under pressure, the best or the worst could come out again. If the media and the public note politicians’ personal lives and politicians’ actions, then the public can choose the politician who displays the best morals. When under pressure, this chosen politician could act well, where a politician with a colorful past might not. Without knowing how politicians act in their personal lives, we blind ourselves to potential problems when the politicians we vote in are in office.
In response to the second question on the blog, I do have to bring myself to believe the statement that America’s politicians are held to a higher standard compared to those that aren’t so much in the scene. When someone becomes a person of interest in the public eye or really anywhere a camera could emerge they are putting themselves maybe not so much at risk but definitely a more vulnerable pedestal. Today’s society thrives on the tabloids, scandals, and gossip that are all around us. Those in the middle of it all are watched in their everyday lives. To specifically speak of those in government or the President himself are and will always be watched on a detail to detail basis because these are the people representing our voice and our country; we deserve the right to know who’s at the head of the line causing all of the commotion. When we are preparing to elect the governor of our state we want to know if they’re honest in their motives and lifestyle before we give them the pen and paper that affects our everyday lives. When we watch all of the election advertisements on television, not only are the candidates at the brunt of beating but they are trying to convince the American public that who they may be voting for could negatively effect their lives on a much grander scale than what meets the eye. Should politicians be held at such a morally high standard? Of course they should…The politicians of our day need to be watched carefully because they are the ones leading our country.
Of course politicians are held to a higher set of moral standards then the common public. There are both positive and negative aspects of these standards. To start off, politicians are representing the people of this country; therefore, they should strive to obtain better moral ground to improve the view and standards of the people. But politician, of all people, are not perfect. They will make mistakes. But by taking on the role of representing the country, it is their job and duty to withhold a more critical moral standard. Often times these standards are set at an alarmingly high rate resulting in the complete destruction of the politician. When pressure and perfection begin to tie in to “morals,” it devastates and breaks down even the strongest politicians. This is an obvious example of the negative effects moral standards can have on a public figure. Consequently speaking, the media and the public need to refrain from viewing politicians as more then just human. Another viewpoint that would help to create a bigger understanding of the political world is to not view it as a close personal relationship with the government. Oftentimes people get over carried away with morals and ethics when it comes to politics but, in the end, politics is simply politics.
In response to Nicole Thompson.
I agree with Nicole that the politicians persona life shouldn’t be stressed as much as it is now. But she brings up three really good points. If they have major problems explaining things of their pasts how CAN we trust them with explaining or covering up or lying about things that could affect us nationally? But on the other hand ifthey can handle all of their problems plus handle problems of others while saying strong and not getting crushed under them then they seem capable of running our country. Also the media has grown so bad that it’s hard for people (myself included) to believe a lot of whats going on because no one knows for certain whats blown out of proportion whats being down-played what happened for real and whats rumor. Our media controls us and people can be easily led astray by false or semi-false statements because our media wants a juicy story.
In response to Kellie Bates:
I completely agree with you on the point that politicians should have a higher moral standard for themselves because they are running the country. However these standards are set by the media and the public. Unfortunately the media tends to blow everything way out of context and the public doesn’t take the time to understand what is happening but what is feed to them by the media. It’s like what John Meyer says in his song “Waiting on the World to Change” how do we s the public really get an understanding of what is happening if they only information we are getting is from the same source of media. The media can twist and distort any information they want when there is no one else to contradict the information that is being feed to the public.
Are politicians, as public figure/icons, held to a higher set of moral standards than us mere mortals? Should they be?
Politicians as well as any other public figure, icon or celebrity are held at a higher set of standards. They wouldnt be icons if they were not. Most people look at politicians especially in a higher standard because they are always in the spotlight in the community or what ever level they are on. They are supposed to prove that there personal life is just as good as their career. Now if the person was having a bad career many would be able to tell that something is not right in their personal life and no one would really be suprised.
Theoretically someone in any positive position of power should be more moral than the average joe. People of power rarely have a moment that the outside world doesn’t know about or will find out about sooner or later. The media follows a politicians every move to see if there are any screw ups and the moment something is considered a mistake it is blown up and shared with the world.
In reality they should not be held higher than anyone else because it may not seem like it at time but they still are human. Everyone makes a mistake once in a while so just because the entire world doesn’t see your mistake does not make it right to completely rip them apart especially if you have done the same thing.
In response to Ms. Buckner:
I disagree with you about the public needing to know all about a politicians personal life. We are taught in school to treat others the way we want to be treated. So if we are going to know about politicians personal lives we mine as well know about yours, which i don’t think you want to tell. Besides, they shouldn’t be any different than us, they are merely messengers of the people in charge of doing what the people believe should be done. What they do at home, just like what you do at home, has nothing to do with national security.
In response to Michael,
Our leader should be a role model for children. They should set the example. They represent us as a country. Its because of people like Bill Clinton that the U.S. has a bad name. If someone wants to represent three hundred and one million people, i think that they should be held to a somewhat higher standard than the rest of us. We want to be portrayed in a good way, not in a way that makes us all look like we’re a bunch of jerks. Yes, they are still, human, and they will make mistakes, but i think they should be the best of the best of us.