Yesterday I shook hands with one of the worst politicians imaginable. He was a friendly, normal looking guy, who’s running for a Congressional seat in Arkansas.
The problem didn’t start until he started talking. We stood alone in the radio station break room and for eleven minutes (I was watching the clock) he told me absolutely everything about himself….And he never asked me a single question. Not one.
He told me about his business experience, his wife, his kids, his church, his county, his passion, his concern, his faith, his convictions and work ethic. He told me how honest and hard working he was.
He did not ask me my last name, if I was married, if I had kids, where we lived. He did not ask me what I was concerned, passionate or angry about. He did not ask me if I was affiliated with a political party. He did not ask me about our schools, our roads, our taxes, our unemployment rate or our government. He did not ask me about crime in my area, global warming, swine flu, our service men in Iraq or Afghanistan. He did not ask if I believed in school prayer, hunting, the NRA, gay rights, abortion, or food stamps. He did not ask what I wanted my congressman to do or how he could help me. BECAUSE HE DIDN”T CARE.
I’m in radio sales and everyday, much like a good politician, I try to solve people’s problems. But I can’t do that unless I ask countless questions about their business. How do I know what they need unless I ask questions and listen? Do you get the correlation?
You sir, are a terrible politician and I would never vote for you. Because you obviously do not give a rats ass about my life or what I need or how you can help make the great state of Arkansas even better.
You are what I fear and abhor most in politicians. You think you are the center of the solar system and you already know what’s best for my family. You should be a celebrity not a politician. Because in your mind and world it’s obviously all about you.
A good politician can help more people in a single day than the rest of us can in a life time. But not if you don’t look people in the eye, ask questions and listen, listen, listen, then ask more questions and listen some more.
It’s not about you, it’s about the people and state you serve. Do you even know who we are? Do you even care? Wait, I think you answered that question during our 11 minute meeting in the break room.
Leave a comment or e-mail me! hampoland@gmail.com