Do you think elected officials, in general, are more likely to believe in things deeply or to pander

[Stinky The Clown]

For example, did Mitch Daniels really think defunding Planned Parenthood was a good thing or was he pandering to the anti-choice crowd?

Do these teabaggers really think we'd be better off with many more destitute, desperate, hopeless people?

I can come up with examples of pandering Democrats, too, but I would rather get an answer to this question instead of some heated argument about my choice of examples, so I will leave it at this.




edit to add "likely" in the title

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I'll go with pandering.

[RKP5637]

2. I used to think differently, but now watching over time I'm

pretty much concluding the "teabaggers really think we'd be better off with many more destitute, desperate, hopeless people." It would make some/many of them feel good to see this occurring in America. I'm convinced a good many of them are sociopaths or border on that behavior.

[emulatorloo]

3. Depends on the politician. Some are in because they want to serve and

help their constituents. Others are there to enrich themselves. Many of the tea bag politicians seem to be on a narrow almost religious quest.

Mitch Daniels is pandering, at least that is my opinion.

[msongs]

4. some lay everything on the line for the right thing - LBJ gave it all for civil rights

even though he prophesied, correctly, that democrats would lose the south for decades. And now 45 years later bipartisanship loving politicians talk a big talk but don't seem to really be willing to fight for anything.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. LBJ was nearly half a century ago.

I have come to greatly admire him. And you're correct. He gave it all for what he believed in.

It is my view we have no one like that today.

[RKP5637]

9. Absolutely none today that I know of come close to having the guts and forcefulness LBJ had! n/t

[Curmudgeoness]

6. This question is a joke, right? I have seen damned few

politicians who are "true believers" in anything. They seem to watch which way the wind is blowing or the polls are going.

My hat is off to the few, from either side of the aisle. But those can be counted on one hand.

[RKP5637]

11. We have a stark lack of leadership in this country today for the most part in doing what is good for

the "whole" of the country. Most politicians today are just interested in saving their own ass and pandering to those that gave them the most money to get into office.

It's become a dreadful system today in doing what is needed for the good of the "whole" country. And who would expect otherwise when we have the skewed distribution of wealth today, and bought and paid for politicians.

What we are getting is exactly what one would expect.

[Curmudgeoness]

13. Add that to the idea of career politicians.

Our founding fathers had the concept of citizen statesmen, people who would "serve their country" for a short period of time, then go back to their lives. We don't have that today. And for a career politician to have a career in politics, they must pander.

[RKP5637]

14. That, is a very excellent point!!! n/t

[arcane1]

7. In general, serious pandering n/t

[yellerpup]

8. Panderers.

There are some who are truthful, but for the most part pandering is now a part of diplomacy. Or however they justify it to themselves.

[jp11]

10. Pander but they probably convince themselves in the act of pandering that they too

believe in those things and only let it go when/if they lose so they actually don't get 'hurt' by the loss because they really don't care or care little.

[quaker bill]

12. Both

and all shades in between. One way in which we fail is to overestimate the intelligence of elected officials. Some, in my experience are actually pretty bright, many are not particularly bright at all. The notion that many have big ideas, hidden agendas, or schemes is simply not correct. Many are just making it up as they go along. In my experience, some are no brighter than any average person you might meet anywhere.

They have an a policy preference, generally based on some daft platitudes, and they pander to accomplish it. What they generally have is a pretty good marketing personality. They can be effective sales people, which is different than having a good product.

[applegrove]

15. The neocon, gop and teabagger politicians often pander on social issues to get elected.

Democrats not so much. They are like the left in Canada where I trust the politicians.

[Horse with no Name]

16. You might to that "destitute, desperate, hopeless, pregnant people"

Because our imperialists need as much cannon fodder as they can produce.