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Political LeadershipLeadership Requires CharacterSo many politicians speaking; so little being said. But that is what elections are all about: tell people what you think they want to hear and hope they believe. As the election deadline nears, politicians reinvent themselves according to the latest polling data. The politician’s job is to win; the electorate’s job is to decide. But how to make an informed, intelligent decision when the positions and the characters of the politician seems to change. A politician is like a chameleon that continuously adapts to its changing environment. But character is not changed overnight. Character is that trait you draw on when faced with any new, complicated situation. Character is that person seen over time. Character is actions not just words. Character is what is left when you have nothing else on which to draw. To understand a person’s character, study his/her past record. Trust not the person but trust his/her record. The record will tell us how that person will most likely react in the future. An inconsistent record speaks of an inconsistent person. A person who may well be too flexible to make difficult decisions without assistance. A study of the person’s past actions indicates how that person will react in the future. Politicians know this and try very hard to camouflage their past from those of us who decide their future. Trust not any politician that refuses to reveal his or her past. While it is true a person can change, habits and emotions of a lifetime do not change quickly. The future of our nation is ours to decide; refer to the record not the words - words can misrepresent but actions reveal the true person. We need politicians with a vision for the future. The past is gone and cannot be changed; the present is now and also cannot be changed; the future is our only chance. To continue to survive, our politicians, especially our presidential candidates, must have more to offer than complaints about what has been done. We need to be offered an idea of where we should be going. Many politicians are willing to repair the mistakes of the current administration but few provide any real long-term goals. Are we, the electorate, so shortsighted that the future is not worth an idea or even a discussion? Solving the current problems are fine but we need a vision of the future that makes us eager to help it arrive and willing to work to make it happen. The future is the only tense that separates the thinking from the non-thinking. The future is not just something to hope for but something to expect and to demand. We cannot stop the future any more that we can change the past but we can work to create the future we want. I can hear many of you saying that the future holds little promise unless we improve our environment, cure all diseases, feed the hungry, and many more worthwhile causes. However, many of these things cannot be conquered with today’s knowledge or today’s technology. We need a challenge to improve ourselves by going beyond our present boundaries of knowledge and self-understanding. This challenge must exceed our grasp and our present abilities. Earth will survive our stupidly for it has survived much worse but we humans may not. The challenge is not just to have the Earth survive but to ensure we humans do also. We must look further into the future than the next election. We need a national dream, a national challenge. We are dying in our own complacency. We need politicians who are not afraid to run the most powerful nation on Earth. We need politicians who are not afraid to make mistakes because to progress, mistakes will be made. We need politicians who will not feel the need to apologize for the strength and power the US can bring to bear on any given situation. We need politicians who, while showing respect for other nations, will not be intimidated by their disagreement. To lead we must expect criticism, dislike, and even hatred. To lead we must expect to be targets for those who are envious of our power, strength, and capabilities. Leadership requires courage and character. We need politicians who are interested in more that just getting elected or just staying in office. Author: Don Miller
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