Trust is keystone of true politics

Politics is all about trust. Without it nothing can be accomplished, and with it anything is possible - both great good and great evil.

It is the tragedy of our times that trust is almost universally denied our leaders, all the while the public clamors for it. Of course, we have had our trust abused by our leaders so many times in recent years that it is no surprise people are scornful of fresh new faces, dismissive of sincerity, and sick of those who say they "know better."

This latest presidential campaign, to some extent, has been like a national Rorschach test, and whether you see the profile of a haggard witch or the face of a beautiful young woman depends in large measure on how much trust you have left, a matter which - by the way - is essentially nonpartisan. It is just as easy for a Republican to dislike his candidate, Sen. John McCain, as for a Democrat to do so, for instance.

McCain insists on chastising Republicans, after all, most recently for running ads critical of Sen. Barack Obama's relationship with Rev. Jeremiah Wright. McCain said something silly about North Carolina Republicans being out of touch with reality because they thought Wright's message was too extreme for America. Of course, he made his comments about two days before he himself was criticizing Wright, and about a week before Barack Obama denounced his former reverend's comments as "divisive and destructive."

The Democratic race itself, meanwhile, has given liberals permission to enjoy a good old-fashioned knife fight as Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton have been forced to fight on the inside, leaving both camps worried about long-term damage.

Obama had professed to be a different sort of candidate, of course, someone who could rise above all this self-centered jockeying for power, but lately his halo has grown tarnished. Last week, he found himself in the midst of a no-win situation.

When he denounced the Rev. Wright, it gave an opening to those who said he was just another politician, doing what was expedient rather than what be believed. But if Obama had stood silent while Wright strutted his stuff before the National Press Club, he would not just be another politician; he would be a former politician.

Let's forget the world-weary cynicism for a minute, and acknowledge that however long it took Sen. Obama to see the light, he was passionate and sensitive in acknowledging that Wright's comments "rightly offend all Americans."

That doesn't mean I have to vote for him; I still don't like his positions on numerous issues. But at least he did the right thing, and there is never a statute of limitations on that.

. Frank Miele is managing editor of the Daily Inter Lake and writes a weekly column. E-mail responses may be sent to edit@dailyinterlake.com