In the 1990s, I read "What I Saw at the Revolution," authored by Peggy Noonan, who was President's Reagan's speechwriter and who also coined such phrases as "kinder, gentler nation" and "thousand points of light" for George H.W. Bush.
After reading Noonan's account, I decided that I, too, wanted to be a political speechwriter. To anyone who asked why, I told them that, in political discourse, you can tug on people's heartstrings and you can play fast and loose with the facts.
I cringe now when I recall this.
I write often in this space to exhort those in political life (as well as those of us who are not) to stick to the facts, to be transparent, and to be accountable for what we say and do. After all, facts are facts, right? A thing is either true or it is false.
So went my reasoning, until a conversation I had yesterday about - of all things - my golf shirts. While in San Diego last fall, I visited Torrey Pines Golf Course, where I purchased a great golf shirt from the pro shop. Now, based on the state of my game, me wearing a golf shirt with the Torrey Pines logo is akin to out-of-staters coming to ski in Colorado all decked out in the latest gear and clothing and spending the week on the bunny slope.
In our conversation, when asked if I would ever say that I had actually golfed at Torrey Pines, I replied that I could respond with something like "I didn't have a great round that day."
True? Yes. Misleading? You betcha! (My friend suggested that a better response would be "I could have had my best round ever." Just as true, but waaaay more misleading.) Either response, however factually accurate it is, would lead most people to believe that I had golfed at Torrey Pines and 1) did not pay well, or 2) had my best round ever.
True? Not one bit! So I would clearly be playing fast and loose with the facts ... and that did not make me feel good. That's why I'm grateful for all the fact-checkers during this election season. Because of instant access to information, speeches and statements are analyzed in real time, and results are posted within minutes. With just one click, I can see whether a given "fact" is true, false, or the dreaded "true but misleading" ... just like my bogus responses about Torrey Pines.
I admit I often attempt to tug on your heartstrings, especially when I'm writing about my family, or about people who are abused or oppressed, or about love and loss. Some of you tell me that I have done this.
By the same token, some of you have told me, on occasion, that I may not have my facts straight, and I appreciate your comments, as well as the opportunity to set the record right. Sometimes it's a simple matter of clarity. But, as a journalist, my own personal code is to be purposely truthful with you. And, in the ever-more-contentious run-up to the presidential election, I challenge our politicians to do the same.
Now could bring a tear to the eye.
from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Truth-is-welcome-in-election-season,233501
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