TERRE HAUTE —
As summer draws to a close and next year’s political campaigns get down to brass tacks, you’re going to be hearing a lot more from politicians seeking your vote. Given the widespread anxiety about our nation’s course, you’ll no doubt want to know what these candidates actually think.
So here’s one word of advice on how to listen to what they tell you: Carefully.
Most successful politicians are smart, articulate, and highly skilled at parsing their words. Above all, they want to win your vote. So you can be sure they won’t tell you what you don’t want to hear. But this is not the same thing as telling you what you do want to hear.
I still remember, toward the end of Bill Clinton’s presidency, how often Republican friends and colleagues swore to me that he had lied to them and reneged on what they remembered as ironclad promises. As it happens, I had sat in on several of those meetings, and I respectfully had to disagree. If my colleagues had really listened carefully, they’d have understood that he was not agreeing with them — he’d left himself outs and plenty of ambiguity in what he’d said. Then he’d skillfully rely on their inclination to hear what they wanted to hear.
An experienced politician is expert at reading the mood of an individual or a crowd, at asking questions that tell him something about how they feel on a given issue, and at gauging how much his listeners know about the issues and policies they’re discussing. Simply by the nature of the job, politicians will often — though not always — know a great deal about the matter you’re interested in, and usually they’ve thought through their position on it. They may sound homespun, folksy — remember, self-deprecation is an art-form among politicians — and no more sophisticated than the average person on the street, but don’t be fooled. They usually know what they’re talking about, are cautious when they don’t know, and are adept at wording their sentences for maximum appeal. After all, they want you to agree with them.
Which means that as a voter, it’s really up to you to be an attentive listener. And the more you know about the issues you care about, the better you’ll be. You want to be able to understand a politician’s positions and be able to sort out where you agree and disagree. Never jump to conclusions. You shouldn’t hesitate to ask questions in order to gain clarity, or to push for clear, concise answers that reveal where a candidate or lawmaker really stands.
You also want to get a sense of what kind of listener he or she is. Is his mind made up? Is she prepared to listen to what you have to say, or does she just want to talk at you? Is he flexible on the issues you care about, and if so, how flexible? The issues that our political leaders confront every day are so complex that sometimes they’re searching for an answer and are prepared to listen to what you think — especially if it’s clear you know what you’re talking about.
On the other hand, sometimes a politician’s position is already settled, whether through conviction, analysis, orders from political leaders, or political expediency. If that’s the case, try to get a sense of how he or she arrived at that position — it will tell you something about the kind of effort he or she will make as a lawmaker.
The point is that as a voter, you should never suspend your critical judgment when dealing with politicians. Give them a fair hearing, but bone up on the issues, know what you’d like to hear and what you don’t want to hear … and then listen with your mind as well as your ears. It’s the only way I know to judge what a politician has to say — and to avoid being disappointed when it turns out that you didn’t actually hear what you thought you did.
Lee Hamilton is Director of the Center on Congress at Indiana University. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years.
Flashpoint
How to listen to a politician
- Flashpoint
-
-
FLASHPOINT:Bipartisan vs. Nonpartisan
During the primary election season there was much discussion regarding whether bipartisanship is a positive or negative attribute as it relates to the work of the United States Congress.
-
FLASHPOINT: School libraries essential for reading achievement
If the situation were not so serious, it would be laughable. How can we improve reading achievement if we make it more difficult to put books in the hands of our children?
-
FLASHPOINT: Lugar warns of 'unrelenting partisan mindset'
I would like to comment on the Senate race just concluded and the direction of American politics and the Republican Party.
-
FLASHPOINT: Is money a problem in politics? Depends on where you sit
The role of money in politics needs to be better understood. Does it make the political system work better, or is it a problem — and if so, how much of one?
-
FLASHPOINT: ‘Private’ clubs should be exempt from smoking bans
Over the past several years I have watched the Vigo County Council, followed by the City Council, and lastly the legislature of the great state of Indiana, wrestle with a smoking ban.
-
FLASHPOINT: Downtown developers should share more details on project
With all of the opinions being expressed about the fate of the 500 block of Wabash Avenue, one element is sorely missing: the details.
-
FLASHPOINT: Be careful when making accusations of ‘racism’
Perhaps, in a way that he doesn’t understand, Attorney General Eric Holder is correct in accusing America of being cowardly about discussing issues of race.
-
FLASHPOINT: Historic hotel demolition was shameful day for Terre Haute
In an April 13 article on the potential demolition of historic buildings at Fifth and Wabash for student housing, Mike Ellis says, “I love the old historic buildings and have always had a passion to see them saved and restored. I was an opponent of seeing the Terre Haute House come down and the new hotel go up,” he said. “I have been proven wrong with what that would do for Terre Haute.”
-
FLASHPOINT: Notes on saving structural history
There are several reasons why the historic buildings adjacent and west of Roger’s Jewelers should be saved, and why our downtown needs to protect and embrace our remaining historic fabric. First and foremost, rehab and reuse saves our historic buildings for future generations to experience, and the more architectural authenticity our downtown preserves, the more admired and “walkable” it will become.
-
FLASHPOINT: Can anyone hear the call from Farrington's Grove
On Friday, March 30, a dear friend was brutally attacked in broad daylight in an alley in the neighborhood I grew up in, on the edge of Farrington’s Grove.
-
FLASHPOINT: We have the power to co-exist without violence or prejudice
Innumerable forces in our lives, and throughout our society, seem to have convinced us that immediacy is best. We have to do it now. We have to have it now. We must go there now. We need it now!
-
FLASHPOINT: Issue surrounding Florida shooting fueled by race
I am writing as a mother and as president of the Terre Haute branch of the NAACP because there may be some who wonder why the shooting of Trayvon Martin has created such an uproar: “What exactly is the issue?”
-
FLASHPOINT: Indiana — open for business
With the 2012 legislative session in the rearview mirror, the two-year work of the 117th General Assembly elected in November of 2010 is complete.
-
FLASHPOINT: The Constitutional challenge to the Affordable Care Act
On March 26, the United States Supreme Court will begin three days of hearings with six hours of oral argument on the constitutional challenge filed by Indiana and 25 other states against certain sections of the federal health care law: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often referred to as “Obamacare.” This historic lawsuit will explore the limits of the power of Congress under the U.S. Constitution.
-
FLASHPOINT: The burning questions of ‘Fahrenheit 451’
“Remember the firemen are rarely necessary. The public stopped reading of its own accord.” — Ray Bradbury, “Fahrenheit 451”
-
FLASHPOINT: Wonderful place to be during a very hard time
University Hospital (Indianapolis), part of IU Health Group, is a wonderful place to be if you are seriously ill.
-
FLASHPOINT: America’s energy brings America jobs
The increase in fuel prices affects many aspects of our daily lives.
-
FLASHPOINT: Change coming to the Indiana Statehouse
The General Assembly is about to undergo a major face-lift. I’m not talking about new construction. I’m talking about destruction — partisan destruction, in fact.
-
FLASHPOINT: White House rejects Keystone XL: Sad day for U.S. workers
Imagine a project that could create 20,000 American jobs during construction, and as many as half a million longer-term positions.
-
FLASHPOINT: Graduation rates are up; great news for Indiana
As Hoosiers celebrate the conclusion of a truly remarkable Super Bowl experience, there is even more good news that should fill us with pride.
-
FLASHPOINT: Tech trail leading us into a dense, digital forest
It seems the Southwest Parke schools are the latest to play the laptop lottery game.
-
FLASHPOINT: Republicans enable war on middle class, unions
About six years ago at the pinnacle of the Bush/GOP Dictatorship, I began telling you that the wealthy and Corporate America were laying the ground work to politically, financially and physically take over America.
-
FLASHPOINT: Howey ignores truth to advance his agenda
Brian Howey’s Jan. 8 column about the U.S. Senate race proves once again that he will not allow the facts or journalistic ethics to get in the way of attacking Richard Mourdock and promoting his chosen candidate, Dick Lugar.
-
FLASHPOINT: Putting fairness first
This time of year, with chords of Auld Lang Syne still ringing in our ears, it’s not uncommon or unnatural to think of days gone by as being more desirable than the era we live in today.
-
FLASHPOINT: What really motivates right-to-work proposal?
You may have heard about the upcoming “right-to-work” legislation before our lawmakers in the next session of “law making.”
-
FLASHPOINT: The right-to-work debate: ‘Devil at Our Doorstep’
As the 2012 Indiana Legislative Assembly convenes, January will represent a tipping point for all Hoosiers’ individual freedoms as politicians and Big Labor draw battle lines to determine if Indiana will become the 23rd right-to-work state.
-
FLASHPOINT: State’s House Democrats will offer alternative for job creation
As the leaders of single-party control in state government outline their agendas for the 2012 session of the Indiana General Assembly, it is easy to be cynical about their intentions in the months to come.
-
FLASHPOINT: Community colleges must lead way in reshaping higher education
In the 1970s, I began what was three decades in the automotive industry. ... Today, in my position as president of Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, I see higher education confronted with some of these same challenges.
-
FLASHPOINT: There’s little right about ‘right to work’ proposal
The danger contained in these three simple words – “Right to Work” — is that they sound so innocent.
-
FLASHPOINT: The next big movement? Reform Congress
We are living through one of the most remarkable times in recent history.
- More Flashpoint Headlines
-
FLASHPOINT:Bipartisan vs. Nonpartisan
Raw Video: NATO Protesters Face-off With Police
Mary Kennedy Mourned at Private Funeral in NY
Raw Video: Demonstrations Ahead of NATO Summit
Prosecutors: Trio Planned to Attack Obama's HQ
Obama Pushes for Post-2014 Vision for Afghanista
NATO Chief: 'No Rush for Exits' in Afghanistan.
G-8 Seeks Unity on Euro-debt Crisis, Iran
Libyan Convicted in Lockerbie Bombing Is Dead
Blind Chinese Activist Arrives in NY
Video Surfaces of Alleged Abuse at Kansas School
Raw Video: Powerful Quake in Northern Italy
G-8 Leaders Hope Greece Remains in Eurozone
Violence in Aleppo, Rastan Amid Observer Warning
Police: 3 Face Terror Charges Ahead of NATO
Raw Video: Demonstrators Protest NATO
Raw Video: G8 Leaders Gather for Class Photo
Raw Video: Will Smith Slaps Kissing Reporter
Raw Video: Obama Greets Leaders at Camp David
Coffee May Be Key to Living Longer
SpaceX President: 'This Is Not Failure'
'Ring of Fire' solar eclipse as seen from Japan
ET's Last Interview with Robin Gibb
Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake Slams Italy
Wiig's Emotional SNL Sendoff
Bloodied anti-NATO protester
Bee Gees Singer Robin Gibb Dies
Facebook Founder Ties the Knot
Heat even up series with Pacers
The Dictator Overthrows Elisabetta
Anarchists Arrested at NATO Summit in Chicago
Transgender Beauty Rocks Bikini
Raw Video: Will Smith Slaps Journalist
Spurs rally, take 3-0 lead
Protesters in front of Emanuel's house
John Edwards trial: Main points jurors may be mulling
Facebook IPO underwhelms
Kate Middleton's Two Thousand Dollar Dress
Man Who Fathered 30 Kids Asks Judge for Child Support Break
Sebelius Heckled During Georgetown Speech
