Voters make candidates

I have never been able to understand why voters become so disillusioned when their candidate is elected to office. No matter how altruistic candidates’ motives, they are worth nothing if they do not get elected.

Voters make candidates who they are because of the way they vote. Sometimes, we vote for a candidate because of his position on one or more issues. Sometimes, we vote against a candidate because of his position on a single issue.

Unless the candidate tells the voter what he wants to hear, he is not likely to get that person’s vote. It’s why candidates so often talk around an issue without giving a definitive answer.

I’m reminded of an incident that occurred during the late 1800s. When a candidate was asked about his position on a given issue, he replied, “Half my friends are fer it, and half of my friends are agin it. And I’m fer my friends.”

Gene Siverston

Spokane