Taking the Pledge

Bill Galston, a thoughtful Wall Street Journal columnist, recently ended his column with what he believes voters will be looking for in next year’s presidential race. He concludes the public will want the opposite of what they have now —- chaos. Voters will be looking for a straight shooter, a person who will not lie and be up front with the public. I believe he is on to something.

After Watergate and Nixon’s resignation and pardon, the public turned to a little known former Georgia governor to be their president. Jimmy Carter’s entire campaign could have been summed up in these words: “I will never tell you a lie.”

Galston imagines how a candidate for president (his example is a Democratic candidate but I don’t believe it should be limited to one party) ends his or her speeches:

“I will do my best to keep the promises I have made during my campaign, and to achieve the goals I have set forth. But you know from your own lives that circumstances can upset the best-laid plans. I cannot always control the circumstances in which I will find myself, or the outcome of my acts.

But there is something I can control—my conduct as president. Here is my pledge to you:

I will not lie to you. If I inadvertently say something contrary to fact, I will take responsibility for the mistake and will correct it.

I will neither insult nor demonize my opponents. I will endeavor to treat them with the respect I would wish to receive—even when they don’t reciprocate.

When disagreements occur, as they often will in our highly polarized times, I will always seek and pursue honorable compromise. One-party government is rarely possible let alone a secure basis for stable public policy.

Sometimes there is no choice but to stand on principle, even when this entails conflict. But I will never divide the American people for partisan advantage.

I reject a politics that rewards friends and punishes enemies. I will be president of all the people, not just the ones who support me.

I will uphold the principles and practice of constitutional democracy, at home and abroad.

In word and deed, I will do my best to restore honor and dignity to the Oval Office.”

I see no reason to limit this pledge to only presidential candidates. I believe it should be requested of anyone seeking elective office—especially those who will be asking voters to support them for membership in the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate.