Politicians Should Not Live in Glass Houses

People in glass houses should not throw stones. This idiom has been around for a long time. And as we head into what can only be described as the silly season here in the United States, the glass houses are shattering left and right.

Over the weekend, Meg Whitman, the Republican candidate for Governor found her glass house coming down around her ears as her illegal housekeeper filed papers seeking unpaid wages and mileage reimbursements. This is very similar to the unpaid taxes on nannies that brought down several presidential appointees in the late 1990s, but in this case, Whitman is running on a platform of holding employers responsible for hiring illegal immigrants.

It is political theatre of course. And something will be put on stage next showing Democratic candidate Jerry Brown in a bad light and the mud slinging will continue. The real problem though, is one of expectations.

The American people, for some bizarre reason, expect the politician running for office to be as pure as falling snow. A virgin, dressed in white with no skeletons in their closets, no change in their views over time and well read on everything from the latest study on medical ethics to the most complex economic theories. And frankly, that is farcical. Such a candidate does not, and cannot exist. Being a politician is all about charisma, deal making and dealing with the devil. In many cases at the same time.

And as long as we expect our politicians to be something more than human, we will continue to be disappointed by them, and their actions.