If we’re serious

There are some questions we should be asking

Each of us, and the journalists, pundits, and assorted commentators who are our public proxies, should be asking every candidate, consultant, advisor, or surrogate these questions before even beginning to evaluate their qualifications for holding office officially or practically:

1) Who won the 2020 Presidential Election? Ask yourself too. If the answer is anything other than Joseph R. Biden, it should end the conversation with any public figure with the evaluation that they are delusional whether intentionally or de facto, and therefore unqualified to hold office. If it’s your answer, the follow up question is why. If, despite the complete absence of evidence, it’s just because you want to believe it, you should look seriously into your motivation for that belief because you’re wrong and pursuing that error to its conclusion is dangerous for all of us.

2) Is this a country to be proud of? If the answer is ‘Yes’, and it should be, for reasons that ought to be obvious to all of us, then ask the follow-up question: Why then are you surprised that people who don’t already live here would want to come here to enjoy the freedom and other benefits we sometimes take too much for granted? If the answer is that they or you aren’t surprised, then ask if they/you are opposed to helping others in their quest for improvement in their own lives and those of their families. Keep in mind that acceptance and support of strangers is a basic tenet of every significant moral, theological, ethical and philosophical system known to exist anywhere in the world and that all the objections are mundane political creations intended to preserve the privileges of whatever group is currently in ruling class. If they object to that suggestion, ask them to reconcile their position with the scripture of whichever system they espouse or state that they practice. Any inability to do so is a disqualifier because having a moral compass is essential in anyone holding public office.

3) Is it important for public officials to set a standard for honesty in speech and behavior? If the answer is ‘No’, that is an immediate disqualification from consideration for any position of trust such as elected or appointed public office. If the answer is ’Yes, but’, the same applies. If the answer is ‘Yes’, and there are on the record occasions that suggest a conflict between that answer and the person’s behavior, trust the behavior and find someone else. Hard as it is to believe, they’re out there and need to be encouraged and supported when they take the risk to themselves and their families of running for office. By the same token, when incumbents are found acting out of turn, they need to be replaced at the earliest possible opportunity. Political inertia is the enemy of freedom and respect for government and we’re suffering mightily right now.

There are, of course, a lot more questions that can and should be asked but these are basic qualifiers not unlike the ability to take and pass the test given to immigrants who want to become permanent citizens. That, actually, makes an excellent 4^th and final question, one that should be asked of everyone who holds office right now, including the entire judicial system beginning with the Supreme Court. Publishing the answers would provide interesting though unsurprising insight into the current state of our political system.