Are we going a little overboard with the focus on principles?

[AZ Progressive]

Would you applaud a Republican if they stuck to their principles, rather than what the public wanted? How about Trump? Politicians are there to serve the people, not themselves. What about if whatever they think is right goes against your own principles? This focus on principles is only favorable to you if the politician closely aligns to YOUR principles, not the majority of the public in general. Bashing a politician for best trying to appeal to the public, for which closely aligns to what they are supposed to do for their job, seems ignorant. A politician is not a dictator.

Now, presenting one thing and doing another is a different thing. But bashing politicians over decisions that they made that may have reflected what their constituents wanted back then is ignorant of what the job is all about.

[1StrongBlackMan]

1. +1 ...

I said, essentially, the same thing to someone hitting at O'Malley for his policing policies ... apparently, Black people are supposed hate O'Malley for doing what they asked him to do.

[AtomicKitten]

4. same goes for Bernie and guns

[1StrongBlackMan]

5. I haven't mentioned Bernie and guns, or HRC and the war vote ...

which in, both cases, outside of liberal boards, had more Democratic support, than not.

I fact, the only candidate that I have faulted a candidate on, for a single issue/vote, is Webb on Affirmative Action ... and that is more, because of his history, before, during and after that vote.

[Fumesucker]

2. Principles is what you use to predict how someone will react in a given situation

If you have no idea what someone's principles are you have no way of predicting what they will do.

Truthfulness for example is a principle, if a candidate is not truthful then you can't trust them to do anything they say they will do.

[1StrongBlackMan]

6. I'm still working my way through the OP's thought train ...

One the one hand, a politician substituting his/her "principles"/"wisdom" for the will of a majority of his/her constituents, runs counter to our representative form of government, and would normally be considered a bad thing ... but for, my agreeing with the politician's minority opinion.

But this, apparently, is NOT a bad thing. Look at all the crap HRC catches here for her use of polling and focus groups and the "Weather-vane" jabs. It would seem that a politician using that data and adjusting, even changing, their position to reflect the will of a majority of his/her constituents, would be a good, and democratic, thing.

Then, on the other hand, if that were the case: Dred Scott would be the law of the land ... and that thought is unimaginable.

I guess ... when it all boils down ... we only want our representatives to act democratically, when we hold the majority opinion; but, are happy with them acting in an anti-democratic manner, when their "principles"/"wisdom", agrees with ours.

[MasonDreams]

3. principles are the primary foundation. I think there's where ya gotta start.

It is the principle of the matter. Consider the most important things. Think of the greater good. Little good now, big bad later? NO Good for $ now, environmental cancers for our children later?

[1StrongBlackMan]

7. But what about democracy? ... where our elected officials' judgments/votes ...

are to reflect the will of the majority of their constituents?

Sadly, I think this exposes the lie/our lie regarding democracy ... sometimes, the majority of the electorate will get something right, and the common good is served (e.g., Civil Rights, LGBT rights, etc.) ... but, generally, the electorate's sentiment cuts against the common good, and elected officials act for the common good, by substituting his/her judgment for that of the electorate ... but, that is not democracy.

[MasonDreams]

10. We choose our Reps, Senators, & Prez because we can't have a referendum for every decision.

In a more Perfect Union, maybe, every citizen 18+ could vote, online every day. Pure Democracy!
Our modified Constitutional Democracy is evolving, Power to the People!!
We need Principled People to do the work of Governing for us. And we can throw the bums out if they screw up.

[Bluenorthwest]

8. Without a foundation your building will not stand no matter how many vote that it should.

Principle: "a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning."

So a principle is not a policy position, a policy position is rooted in principles be those principles for the best or otherwise. To be very clear for those not paying attention, in politics many act from the principle of pandering to the momentary opinions that are most loudly expressed. It's still a principle, it's just a shitty and self serving principle.

[mmonk]

9. No. Truth requires principles.