Make Sure it Helps

The fine art of Machiavellian politics, and trust me ALL politics is Machiavellian regardless of ideology, requires one (among other things) to almost constantly lie about one's motives. A Democrat proclaims Planned Parenthood a "women's health" organization knowing full well it's a very profitable abortion conglomerate with a very generous (and influential) political arm, therefore to be defended at all costs. A Republican declares that the latest trade mega-deal will "create jobs" and be "good" for the American worker when they probably have no idea what it will do but understand all too well it's on their big business contributor's "must have" list and have no choice but to support it.

Also politics is relative. It's relative to what is, what can be and who one can count on AT THE MOMENT. Friends today, enemies tomorrow. American politics is a blood sport more akin to a reality show like Big Brother or Survivor than anything written by Locke, Hume, Hobbs or Montesquieu. The rules are simple, whatever the hell you can get away without looking like a damn fool. In service of this rule, the number 1 rule is you never NEVER reveal your true motivation. The politician who speaks unfiltered truth is the one who gets in trouble (and as often as not everybody else).

Look at it this way, politics is like a movie. The great Stanley Kubrick once told Jack Nicholson that a film is not a picture of reality, it's a picture of a picture of reality. In other words it's reality twice removed. It's peeking through the keyhole into a telescope, that's how belief is suspended by the viewer thereby allowing oneself to be entertained. Politics is the same way. We suspend our common sense and believe what we're told because he's our candidate or belongs to our political party or supports our issue. We even spread the lies and support this unreal construct created by people who we know want to manipulate us. We do this when we all know in our heart of hearts it's all theater and everyone is a phony.

Incredibly many of us even admire the most successful liars and cheats. The Clintons are the best example of this fact (although there are tons of others). Everyone knows Bill Clinton, everyone knows Hillary Clinton, everyone knows they are liars and cheats and 35% of the voters don't care what she did or didn't do with her emails. What the difference? They'll all liars. But Hillary is OUR liar and the Clintons are GREAT at keeping the con.

Our liars not so much. Only last week Kevin McCarthy handed Hillary a gift when he suggested the Benghazi investigation was politically motivated, which is probably true. In doing so he committed the ultimate sin, he revealed motivation and made a fool of himself. He hurt his party. That in itself is enough to disqualify this man from consideration as Speaker regardless of his politics (and I don't care how much cash he generates from Silicon Valley). There are rules, and to be effective one must live by these rules. Kevin McCarthy cannot do the job as Speaker because he broke the NUMBER 1 RULE before he even got started. Now revealing motivation is one thing, but if you MUST tell the truth, at least make sure it HELPS.  

ADDENDUM: Events have made this post old news but I would like to give a shout out to North Carolina's own Mark Meadows, Walter Jones and even the carpetbagger Renee Ellmers (God knows she helped). Just like when we saved Ronald Reagan's political career in the '76 primary, we once again saved the conservative movement from "conservatives".