Yesterday I was talking to a good friend and we were discussing how many people simply don’t want to hear the truth about the dire straits our Republic is currently in. Most people prefer some sort of modified less scary version of the truth; a truth-lite if you will.
What I mean when I say this is that people tend to prefer a happier version of the truth. It’s much easier to deal with rather than the harsh painful reality that accompanies brutal honesty or what I call the hard truth. This is why I believe candidates supported by Tea Party groups are struggling against their Democratic opponents.
Sharron Angle is currently struggling with her message in Nevada against Harry Reid. She was supported by the Tea Party movement in Nevada because she spoke the hard truth about Social Security and entitlement programs and the movement bought into it. She stated that Social Security was unsustainable and we must look at the possible privatization or outright reform of it in order for it to remain solvent for those currently receiving it. After she won the Republican nomination Harry Reid used her words against her by calling her someone with extreme views. He fed the voters a modified much happier version of the truth and painted a picture of a sustainable Social Security program that would last forever even though most reasonable thinking people know this is utter nonsense. But it worked. His poll numbers went up and Angle’s numbers dipped. Now don’t get me wrong, I do understand that there are other factors that come into play as to why Sharron Angle is slipping in the polls, but her hard truth statements about Social Security has contributed towards her sliding numbers; Harry Reid has made sure of it. A large number of people want politicians to tell them want they want hear and Harry Reid played into this.
Rand Paul is dealing with the same issue in Kentucky. He came out blazing with the hard truth and won the support of the Tea Party movement in that state. As soon as he won the Republican nomination he had to back off because he realized that even though the hard truth got him to where he was, most people don’t warm up to it. And if he was going to increase the size of his tent he needed to modify the message or at least tone it down. He needs the votes from the center and people in the center tend to prefer the modified less scary version of the truth. So his team walked him back from his original positions and presented a more voter friendly version of the truth. But how does hearing a friendlier version of the truth really help us? Well it doesn’t.
You see the left appeals to the emotional side of the voter and part of their tactic is telling the voters what they want to hear. They seek to shield the voter from the truth because they feel the average voter cannot handle it. So they present their happier version of it because they know that most people prefer this over reality. But the fact is we need know the score and the only way we will know the score is by hearing the unscripted version of the truth and all the ugliness that comes with it. This is a must if we hope to turn things around in our Republic. We need to understand that ObamaCare is going to bankrupt our nation. We need to know that Social Security and Medicare are unsustainable it will eventually go bankrupt. We need to be trusted with it because in the end most Americans will do whatever it takes to right this ship. If it means sacrifice then so be it, as long as it ensures that our children will enjoy the same liberties and freedoms our parents once enjoyed.
I for one want to face the truth head one instead of being shielded from it with a truth-lite version. Each and every one of us should demand this from our elected officials. They owe us that much for all the crap they’ve put us through these last 19 months.
Liberty forever, freedom for all!
Original Post: The Current
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Matt
I believe that future generations should have the same opportunities that myself, and those that came before me, had. My parents taught me that I could do anything I wanted to do. I don’t want to have to tell my daughter, “You can do whatever the government tells you to do.” We are at a crossroads in this country; are we going to be free, or are we going to be slaves to the nanny state. I choose freedom.
The problem is nobody wants to be the one to pay for what is necessary and our elected officials don’t want to be the ones to stick their neck out and do what’s right so everybody, voters included, keeps passing the buck.
I agree Harrison. This is why we choose a less scary version of the truth. If we stop and face the reality of what lie ahead fear grips the average voter. Better to live in bliss than face the truth.
Excellent piece, John. I just think that the average, uninformed voter is more easily wooed by the left, as opposed to anyone who is in tune with their own ideology. In other words, if you fall to the left or the right, you know who you support, what you believe and what you want out of your elected officials. Those on the fence, in the middle, undecided – whatever phrase you wish to use – are generally more easily swayed by emotional rhetoric.
I absolutely agree with that statement Don. The problem is when you make a decision based on emotion, almost always it is the wrong decision.
Start this around 9:20.
It is human nature to avoid truths that are uncomfortable. However, our left has been trained to completely ignore reality.
I forgot to mention. Great post!
Thanks Matt!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Matt Ross, Matt Ross. Matt Ross said: Truth-Lite: Tell me what I want to hear http://su.pr/1xJFWd [...]
What is left to say>?
Our nation is on track for another civil war within the next 10-15 years.
People hate each other. Revile each other.
If you read the 10 years leading up to the Civil war the conditions in this country today are nearly identical to what they were in 1850-1860.
And neither side was willing to compromise to get along. Both sides were RIGHT.
The south said the states have the right to do what they want and the north said…….FF that. You will do what we say or you will pay.
Today its the same. The Conservatives are saying the states have the right and the liberals are saying THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MUST RUN EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES.
Social issues are only means to accomplishing the continued power of the federal government.
I think that the conditions are indeed right for some type of civil unrest in the near future. My concern is the liberty lost never to be seen or felt again after such an event. States never exercised the same freedom again after the Civil War. We must work hard to get us back to the constitutional principles our founders set forth for our Republic.
I remember saying just recently at another blog that conservatism is the hard road. That is the product our candidates have to sell to the masses and when the rubber meets the road, what you’re basically telling people is that they have to grow the @#$% up and take care of their own lives
In the mean time the liberal gasbag is telling them, don’t worry, i’ll make life easy for you, it’s never your fault, it’s always someone else, you deserve some government money, here take it, it’s yours.
Liberalism is the easy road, the one where you’re just a useless parasite sponging away through your life, so it’s never going to be an easy job for any conservative. Truth be told, they’ll be hated and scorned for it.
That’s a great way to put it MK. The problem is people today tend to favor the easy road. People just don’t seem to have the drive they did only 30 years ago. Many are willing to settle for the free government cheese rather than working for the steak dinner.