By John E. Gibson
Blooming Prairie

Candidates for public office stumble over themselves, telling us what they think we want to hear. In that process, they overstate the powers of the office they seek, setting themselves up for failure. If they run successfully, many will go to the Legislature, attend prayer breakfasts, then vote in the interests of their big financial backers.

How are we to choose? The candidate’s opinion of his fellow men will guide his choices. If they believe that men are evil, we may seek a government by a “moral majority:” a Taliban. If we believe that most men are sheep to be controlled by their betters, we will use government to keep them herded up, awaiting shearing. This can be done by keeping them amused or scaring them. Either method can blind the sheep to the many perils of their systems: nuclear energy, hydrofracking, climate change, etc.

If we consider our fellows as rivals for prestige and power, we may use tax policies to rig the game in our favor. If we consider others to be fellow travelers trying to make sense of our lives, we seek a society that protects people from manipulation by any power center, religious, secular or commercial.

Ample evidence exists to justify each view of human nature. If we select candidates whose views we share and are honest about our motives, the result will be a democratic choice to end a democratic charade or a rededication to democratic principles.