VOTERS’ GUIDE TO CHOOSING ELECTED LEADERS WITH GOOD CHARACTER

Democracy does not demand that voters do anything to justify how they vote. Sadly, too many Americans do very little intellectual investigation to support their choices for elected leaders. This attitude is not responsible patriotism.

Real patriots will be willing to make sacrifices of time and energy to make sure that they vote for the best possible candidate. Real patriots will do their own work to vet candidates rather than trust others or a political party who will freely share their biased opinions about whom to vote for. Again, democracy does not demand that voters make these sacrifices, but voters who want the best for America know that they must make some intellectual effort to research candidates to be satisfied that they have good character and to verify that the things they say while campaigning are true — not lies. The following table will be useful for such Americans.

Qualities of Good Character How to Avoid Falling for Politicians’ Lies
Good character may be defined as a set of positive traits that contribute to an individual’s integrity, relationships, and overall impact on society. Here is a comprehensive list of these traits reported by Perplexity.ai:

  • Emotional Qualities
    • Empathetic: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.
    • Loving: Showing deep affection and care for others.
    • Warmhearted: Kind and compassionate towards others.
  • Intellectual Qualities
    • Curious: Eager to learn and explore new ideas.
    • Logical: Reasoning clearly and sensibly.
    • Imaginative: Creative in thinking and problem-solving.
  • Interpersonal Qualities
    • Supportive: Offering help and encouragement to others.
    • Sociable: Enjoying the company of others and engaging easily.
    • Humorous: Able to bring joy and laughter to situations.
  • Ethical Qualities
    • Honest: Truthful and transparent in actions and words.
    • Respectful: Showing consideration for others’ feelings and rights.
    • Fair: Treating everyone equally without bias.
  • Dynamic & Energetic Qualities
    • Enthusiastic: Showing intense enjoyment or interest.
    • Vibrant: Full of energy and life.
    • Positive: Maintaining an optimistic outlook.
  • Resilient & Steadfast Qualities
    • Persistent: Continuing firmly in a course of action despite difficulties.
    • Tenacious: Holding fast to goals or principles with determination.
    • Strong: Exhibiting mental or emotional strength.
  • Leadership & Influential Qualities
    • Motivated: Driven to achieve goals and inspire others.
    • Proactive: Taking initiative rather than waiting for opportunities.
    • Strategic: Planning effectively to achieve desired outcomes.
  • Reliability & Trustworthiness
    • Dependable: Reliable in fulfilling commitments.
    • Loyal: Faithful to commitments or obligations.
    • Trustworthy: Deserving of trust; honest in dealings.
  • Skill & Efficiency
    • Competent: Having the necessary ability or knowledge to do something well.
    • Organized: Structured in approach, able to manage tasks effectively.
    • Productive: Capable of producing significant results efficiently.
  • Openness & Adaptability
    • Open-minded: Willing to consider new ideas or opinions.
    • Flexible: Able to adapt to new conditions or changes easily.
    • Tolerant: Accepting differing views or behaviors.
 It is always good to pay close attention to the things politicians say but it is especially important during election seasons when politicians have greater incentives to lie: People who believe their lies will vote for them.

Paying close attention requires doing the following intellectual work:

  1. Evaluate the things they say and do to determine their character.
  2. Don’t assume that everything a politician says is true.
  3. Assume that politicians will tell lies to get elected.
  4. Investigate to verify or disprove what politicians say.
  5. Cross-reference multiple sources:
    • Compare information from different reputable news outlets and fact-checkers.
    • Look for consensus among multiple independent sources.
  6. Check for context:
    • Consider the full context of politicians’ statements.
    • Look at the complete speech or interview to understand the broader message.
  7. Be aware of your own biases to believe or reject what politicians say:
  8. Research evidence and data that confirms or denies politicians’ statements:
    • Seek out statistical information, research studies, or expert opinions that support or refute claims.
    • Be cautious of politicians who cherry-pick data or quote statistics out of context.
  9. Look at the politician’s history of truthfulness and consistency in their statements.
  10. Closely evaluate conspiracy theories and oversimplified solutions to complex problems.
  11. Identify common, illogical, abusive, strategies politicians use to attack opponents and media who challenge their lies.
  12. Disqualify anything they say that appeals to emotions and existential fears.
  13. Discount claims they make if they don’t back up claims with facts.
  14. Seek opinions from experts and academics.
  15. Reject politicians who reference their religious faith or religious concepts because they are appealing to your emotions — not intellect.

 

Of course it takes time to do this intellectual work. Furthermore, being a patriotic American does not require that voters do such work. But, sincere patriots will do this work for their own peace of mind and the well being of their fellow Americans.

Failure to do the work of discovering truth is a concession to liars who are energized by personal motives and to those lazy Americans who are not willing to exercise their minds so they can vote for the best possible elected officials. 

 

Note: This voters’ guide is extracted from the Substack post “A lie told often enough becomes the truth”.

To learn more about choosing whom to vote for, visit Make America Better: Vote for Character