Consistently Inconsistent
The matter goes far deeper than one’s individual ideological tendencies. A family member of mine noted–correctly–that the outcome of that election may not even make a difference in our relations with that country, and that one outcome may be just as bad as the other. The winner is not so much what we have at stake, but rather the process and defense of our own country’s “brand” and position on representative government. As the previous administrations of both parties in the Post-World War II era have had activist foreign policies to encourage the expansion of representative government, the current President’s response, or lack thereof, will resonate throughout the world as to whether this continues to be the stance of the United States. Silence on the matter will in and of itself be seen as an inconsistency, and it will have repercussions in this case and all future dealings abroad. A change in what has been the position of the United States would at least require clear explanation rather than silence that may be interpreted unfavorably.
Consistency in the political realm isn’t a market owned by a single party or ideology. Many also point to the current troubles of the Republican Party, noting that certain policy actions were widely inconsistent with campaign promises of yesteryear. Many are left to speculate whether the outcome of our own latest election may have had to do less with ideological principles than simply a matter of whom one believed to be representing a position consistently with real intent for follow-through. As there is a lot of polling to suggest individual political beliefs have changed little between the era of Reagan to Obama, it is very much worth looking at how credibility based on consistency has impacted the political landscape.
As you represent yourself in the attainment of your own outcomes and goals, remember the simple power of consistency.
