Opinion: TRUTH

Can America Handle Honesty From Politicians?

By Micheline Aimesbury

Political doubletalk has become increasingly prominent for Americans. I could swear I heard a speech that said: There will be no new taxes on sexual relations with an intern who may or may not have done drugs while in college.

With choice political bloopers from the likes of Bush, Clinton and G.W.Bush, how can we be anything but confused? Just for good measure, Republican hopeful John McCain has thrown the latest wonder of modern political gaffe-dom down.

McCain's offer to honesty is the'Straight Talk Express,' a campaign vehicle where McCain tells it like it is. He made a reference to his Vietnamese prison camp captors, calling them "gooks."

In this age of tolerance, given his current position, it would have been wise for him to choose his words with more care.

I see this as a deeply personal and isolated case of a man allowing personal feelings to cloud good judgment. Many see this as a taste of things to come. They question his mental health and his ability to push bad experiences aside to deal with future foreign policies.

It is hard to project the ramifications of having a man in office that seems so uncensored. How many more candid the-teleprompter's-off-and- there's-no-one-home-to-stop-him moments will there be? Do we really think we can handle a man like this to represent us? A man who speaks with his emotions rather than common sense?

On the other hand, isn't it refreshing? There's no pussyfooting around with this man. For the first time in years we know exactly what a candidate is feeling and is thinking. Here is a man who doesn't seem to be on a 24-7 stump speech. Now if he could remain this straightforward he may be on to something.

But can America handle straight talk? Or has it become so expected that the president will manipulate the truth that, as Jack Nicholson said, "You can't handle the truth." No matter the outcome a certain precedent has been set. Will this start a trend of honesty within politics or is it a mirage for all the hopeful voters. There is still a lot of time to kick around the final presidential can. McCain will remain visible throughout the election and there will not be a lack of goofs and gaffes from the lovably loose-lipped crew of presidential hopefuls.