Collegiate Times

They say politicians are like diapers: They need changing regularly and for the same reason.

Perhaps one of the most egregious examples of this is the current focus of a highly publicized investigation — former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who in a recent article published by the Associated Press, discussed his intention to re-enter the political arena after his “anticipated” acquittal from the 22 crimes for which he is being retried.

Of late, he has only been convicted of lying to federal officials, a charge from which he hopes to be exonerated.

Historically, it would not seem Blagojevich’s beliefs are unjustified. America is, after all, the land of second, third and fourth chances, a country so permissive and forgiving of illegal behavior. Perhaps that is why we have arrived at a junction where almost every elected official will at one time or another be entrenched in a scandal of some sort, be it anywhere from infidelity to bribery to racketeering.

The overall expectation regarding today’s elected officials is not if they will be involved in some sort of illegal practice, but when and to what extent.

Tragically, we can only assume that we’ve merely scratched the surface with what federal officials have uncovered about Blagojevich’s plans to sell the Illinois Senate seat, among his other supposed indiscretions. Regardless of whether they convict him the second time around, Blagojevich has demonstrated in recent months his eagerness to cash in on his infamy through a stint on “Celebrity Apprentice” and his dedication to masking whatever unsavory acts he committed to achieve political success while in office.

His actions merely elucidate the two characteristics that permeate the political climate most in this country — greed and deception. After examining the hierarchy of elected officials, it raises the question — of all the men and women in this country, is this really the best we can do?

The manner in which men and women make their way up the political ladder needs to change. We as voters need to be savvier, less permissive of immoral behavior and more in tune to what makes a valuable public official. As Albert Einstein said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

How can we expect to turn the tides of American politics when we continue to use the same indicators for electing politicians? Americans have been blinded by flashy campaigns and empty promises for far too long. Yet have those officials been more effective in producing positive results? If the mounting problems plaguing this country are any indication, it would seem they’ve failed us.

A version of this article appeared in the Aug 24 issue of the Collegiate Times.