Voters Beware Of The Chameleon Candidate

By definition, a chameleon is a lizard of the old world family with the unique ability to change its colors according to the expediency of its situation. Some political candidates will say or do anything to win an election. They will buy a home in a neighborhood based on the strategic significance of the district rather than on a heartfelt desire to live there; they will embrace an ideology based on the trends of their potential constituency rather than as a result of long held convictions; they will use their money to buy public endorsements rather than to earn a legitimate following. While this type of demagoguery is certainly not new to American politics, it is particularly dangerous in this year’s midterm election. Because so many citizens feel that they were hoodwinked in the elections of 2008, this year’s electorate has shifted sharply to the political right. The American people are demanding a decrease in the scope and the power of our federal government. They are embracing a philosophy of fiscal responsibility, tax cuts, individual autonomy, strong national defense and control of our national borders. This has led to many a candidate’s claim of ties to conservatism, but few possess a résumé to affirm this. An informed citizenry is the key to our nation’s salvation; the American people must be able to separate truth from fiction as they attempt to decipher the words of potential representatives. Candidates must be carefully scrutinized in order to insure that their record is consistent with their rhetoric. Recent history has taught us that a candidate’s past affiliations, speeches and writings are much more indicative of his or her future actions than any campaign slogan or talking point. Taking this into consideration, a clear mantra has developed for the electorate of 2010: Voters Beware.

Voters beware of candidates who claim to promote job creation but have passed and supported legislation detrimental to its achievement. Obama-Care, financial reform, cap & trade and countless other recent congressional measures have only served to impair small business, the lifeblood of job expansion.

Voters beware of candidates who claim they will not increase taxes. Because the Bush tax-cuts are soon to expire and because many tax-hikes have already been approved but have not yet taken effect, 2011 will produce the largest tax increase in our nation’s history. Candidates who do not vow to cut taxes on a massive scale will simply be raising them by default.

Voters beware of candidates who blame Wall Street and bankers for our fiscal woes. This type of candidate ignores our government’s role in misguided regulations, its trust in an all-powerful Federal Reserve, its approval of excessive housing subsidies and an energy policy dependent on hostile foreign nations. This candidate is content with placing the blame elsewhere rather than confronting and fixing the problem. It is imperative that we seek out candidates, at all levels of government, who offer detailed and comprehensive plans to reform broken government systems such as pensions, tax codes and immigration.

It is essential that voters analyze the records of incumbent candidates and be cognizant of their previous endorsements. It is these endorsements that will provide the clearest indication of how they will vote in the future. Rarely does a tiger change its stripes and campaign rhetoric may prove meaningless after Election Day. Past affiliations and prior political advocacies are the means by which to judge a first time candidate’s intent. Anyone seeking elected office will likely have a paper trail of past endorsements and/or political commentary. If they lack a record of involvement in public debate, voters should also beware; this may indicate a desire to propagate their own self interest rather than a deeply held conviction to serve a greater good.

Voters should beware of sunshine patriots, chameleon candidates and the intrigue of blind ambition; we cannot, again, fall prey to the lures of public deception. Our nation’s future prosperity depends on this year’s election of honorable candidates who will back up their words with actions. Ideological inconsistency is indicative of a candidate’s lack of political integrity and should not be taken lightly. As we have learned from the elections of 2008, where there is smoke there is sure to be fire. All candidates should be carefully scrutinized before being granted the trust of their prospective constituency. Citizens should judge candidates not only on the content of their message but on the character of the person delivering it. This will insure that the will of the people is recognized and acted upon in the course of the following term. A well informed citizenry is the key to our nation’s success; careful and independent analysis of each political candidate is essential to achieving this goal. The American people must learn from previous mistakes and arrive at the realization that a vote is a terrible thing to waste.

Voters beware of the chameleon candidate who will say or do anything to win an election. Upon taking office, these old world lizards will promptly shed their skin and expose their true agenda.