Comments on: The Conundrum of Their Character http://www.deliberatelyconsidered.com/2011/01/the-conundrum-of-their-character/ Informed reflection on the events of the day Wed, 15 Jul 2015 17:00:00 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.4.23 By: Christian http://www.deliberatelyconsidered.com/2011/01/the-conundrum-of-their-character/comment-page-1/#comment-5053 Sat, 22 Jan 2011 18:22:25 +0000 http://www.deliberatelyconsidered.com/?p=1879#comment-5053 You are describing something similar to the trustee-delegate distinction. I’ve always been very bothered by those promoting the delegate model. I remember a canvasser coming to my door in Chula Vista, California, to promote his candidate. The candidate, Juan Vargas, who was running against Bob Filner for California’s 51st congressional seat in the Democratic Primary, had voted to ban gay marriage. The reasoning according to his canvasser? Vargas was simply representing the desires of his constituents. I remember thinking: “In that case, why does it matter who we elect, since under this theory they should all vote the same way?”

What I look for most in a candidate are integrity and intelligence. Unfortunately it is difficult to decipher this through the mostly superficial national debates. We therefore need more in-depth exchanges. This would allow us to evaluate the candidates’ abilities to grasp the complexity of issues, in addition to their intellectual integrity. However, the people will have to show legitimate interest in this type of media; otherwise it will never be created.

]]>