A "Give Your head a Shake" Moment

I’ll concede that when I wrote the piece in The Hamiltonian entitled Candidates Who Won’t Answer Questions Are Telling Voters Something, it was born out of frustration.

The source of that frustration? A genuine “give your head a shake” moment as I contemplated what true leaders are—and, perhaps more importantly, what they are not.

They are not those who hide behind carefully crafted campaign strategies designed to answer questions only when it is convenient.

They are not those who are unwilling—or unable—to handle difficult and complex questions. They are not those who engage in verbal gymnastics to avoid answering a question, revealing more about themselves in the process than a straightforward answer ever could.

If you are seeking to be our mayor, one of our city councillors or one of our school board trustees, step up and be heard.

Hamiltonians do not suffer fools easily, and they have had enough of political craftiness—and I use that term loosely. They want authenticity. They want people who are unafraid to lead and who do not hide behind their campaigns. They want people who understand that endlessly repeating the mantra “I’m listening” is no substitute for eventually standing up and saying what you actually believe.

Leadership requires having a position. It requires defending it. It requires answering difficult questions when the timing is inconvenient and the answers may carry political risk.

So, let’s hope that when Hamiltonians cast their ballots, we elect leaders—not merely politicians.