# What Do We Want in a Politician?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-want-in-a-politician/213448>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [November 15, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-want-in-a-politician/213448 "2003-11-15T18:20:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-want-in-a-politician/213448/21 "2003-11-17T03:52:54Z")

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> [@](#):
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> \*Originally posted by erislover \*  
> Yet, here again, I see the incredible value in taking it to the polls. After all, sure Joe Anyone has hindsight. But can we genuinely reflect what we learned in the **voting booths** …?

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**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-want-in-a-politician/213448/22 "2003-11-17T04:06:33Z")

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> [@](#):
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> \*Originally posted by Joel \*  
> and I was trying to tell you that that’s not the way our system of democracy works.

Then we’re talking passed each other. I think I understand how our democracy works. And I hear a lot of talk about what people want to happen, what should happen, etc, and I think, “Gee, wouldn’t it be something if we had politicians that, oh, I don’t know, _listened_?” 🙂

> [@](#):
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> Remember might doesn’t make right, and going along with popular opinion doesn’t necessarily mean doing the right thing.

I absolutely agree: democracies can make at least as many mistakes as dictatorships.

> [@](#):
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> So then you don’t want anybody of integrity or a mind of their own, what you want is a yes man (or woman).

I want a **represent** ative. Part of representing means knowing what you’re representing: the public. Not just himself. Our government isn’t their private party, even if they are leaders.

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> The way you want a politician to be, they’d just be a useless middle man.

Hey, middle men are very useful! 😛

> [@](#):
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> With your way of doing things we don’t need most elected officials, at least the law makers anyway. We could just to a direct democracy.

I hope I have clarified this more in my discussion with DS and flowbark.

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