I think it’s important to judge somebody on their whole body of work. Not just a single comment or action. Who is this person? Who have they been? What story has their life consistently told?

Politics today has become a complete game of “gotcha!”. People on both sides just waiting in the wings for someone to say or do one thing so that they can attack. The sad thing is that surprising as this is to me, many people allow themselves to be swayed by this maneuver.

I am voting for Mitt Romney for President. The reason I am voting for him has NOTHING to do with a single comment he has made. The reason I am not voting for Barack Obama has NOTHING to do with a single comment he has made. I am voting for Romney b/c I sincerely believe that his policies, attitude and approach towards government are better for my family and my personal view of what will make the country stronger. This opinion is based on what I know of his past governing, the success of his business dealings,  (yes, that is a positive to me) and his general leaning towards a more conservative viewpoint. In other words, a body of work.

When I was in college I took a class on communication. It was my major so I obviously took several. I don’t remember the particular class or professor but I do remember what I learned one day. Wait, it’s coming to me. I think it was Dr. Sprague. Anyway, he talked about how when we hear something about somebody that we know we need to ask ourselves if it lines up with what we know of that person. What we know of their character. If it doesn’t line up with our experience of that person we should either A) discard it or B) go to that person and figure out what really happened.

I can’t tell you how many times I have applied this over the years. It actually eliminates so much drama. I’ve gone as far to just discount the statement as soon as I hear it.

“Hey did you hear so and so did this?”

“No they didn’t.”

“What”?

“I know so and so. Have known him for years and I can assure you there’s more to the story. I don’t know exactly what happened, but I know it didn’t happened just as you’ve heard. You should go ask him about it”.

Of course, it usually ends there b/c some people like drama and “juicy stories” more than the truth.

Don’t let one statement or one remark make your decision for you. Don’t fall for that tactic. Look at the person’s whole body of work, what consistent story has their life told? Look at that and then make your decision.