Never Ending Gaffes
Foot in the Mouth Disease
By Daniel Muniz

I hate to think I'd have to live my life without a sense of humor.

Arkansas Governor – Mike Huckabee

That assertion is absolutely correct because as a politician, anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of public opinion. Yet, every election cycle sees a large number of candidates and elected office holders who momentarily experience “foot in the mouth disease” when they publicly stumble. Even minor incidents can easily be blown out of proportion by an aggressive press.

As a result, some politicians are hopping mad because of how the media and their opponents exploit their gaffes but in all truthfulness, politics is cruel and oftentimes, unforgiving. And the worst problem is that the public truly believes that “perception is reality” when it comes to gaffes. In other words, it doesn’t matter how effective and successful a politician is because once the public has a perception that has been repeated often enough and magnified, it becomes the truth.

Of course, there are exceptions. There will always be savvy politicians who escape media scrutiny even though their dirty laundry can easily create a sensation to end political careers. Instead, these charismatic office holders seem to walk away unscathed regardless of what they say or do.

Everyone else is not so lucky.

As Governor Huckabee examines his presidential aspirations, he smartly noted in his monthly call-in show, Arkansas Educational Television Network:

"If you can't attack me on my record for children's health care, if you can't attack me on my record for education, if you can't attack me on the record for our highway program or for technology or for natural resources, what are you left to do? Make personal attacks."

As any seasoned political veteran already knows, that observation is absolutely true. The reason is because meaty issues of substance are difficult to explain to an electorate but ridicule isn’t.

And if a politician is open to gaffes or has the appearance of impropriety, they will be exploited because an opponent can easily score far more political points in one fell swoop with ridicule than expending an enormous amount of time and effort explaining the dynamics of an authentic issue. And besides, the public is far more receptive to entertainment and tabloid reporting than they are to acquiring accurate information.

For instance, Governor Huckabee called his state of Arkansas a “banana republic” and he also referred to his dramatic weight loss of 110 pounds as spending time in a concentration camp. Those comments resulted in an enormous outcry that will probably dog him for years to come.

Although Huckabee’s humor is probably harmless, the media and political opponents don’t see it that way. Instead, they see opportunity. And whatever accomplishments the governor achieved like losing 110 pounds and writing an inspirational book about it, those positive efforts are now negated because of his foot in the mouth disease.

Another incident for Huckabee is a wedding gift registry his wife set up for a house warming party for their new home. Department stores like Target and Dillard’s do not have registries for housewarming parties (or for anything else). However, there are still plenty of people who view registries that are set up for anything other than a wedding or a baby shower as being seedy. And for a politician in a high political office, such a registry appears sordid and seamy because of the connotations of kickbacks and favors.

Mike Huckabee may actually be a very honest man and his slip ups are more than likely nothing more than the actions of a genuine human being. I personally do not find him to be a likable figure because he is a tax and spend liberal who is going to masquerade as a fiscally responsible Republican. However, until something substantial materializes, if it ever does, I will continue to view him as a person who is simply following his convictions despite his mouth.

But in the big picture, it is far easier for his political opponents use his gaffes to get as much mileage as possible, especially since he likes to speak spontaneously instead of using prepared texts for speeches.

And as the electorate already knows, Huckabee is not alone. Plenty of candidates and office holders do the same thing.

The reality is that in order to be a successful politician, especially when seeking higher office, he or she must start acting like a politician instead of an ordinary person. Does that mean that politicians have to be start being fake and insincere?

Absolutely not but what it does mean is that a candidate or elected office holder must insulate their personal life from their public one. It also means carefully measuring and orchestrating any public or semi-public appearances and comments. As for Huckabee, that translates into losing your humor and limiting your personal style in public because spontaneous remarks and actions are dangerous.

That doesn’t mean that a politician cannot have a private life. In fact, in privacy amongst trusted friends and family is the only place to be yourself. Yes, it is a cocoon but that is the price to pay for running for higher office. Nobody cares what a low level office holder does but going higher up the ladder brings more scrutiny and media attention.

Many political consultants suggest that politicians who seek higher office must also get a thick skin but I have never agreed with that assertion.

The best way to prevent gaffes from distracting from a political campaign is to eliminate them altogether. Opponents and the press salivate at the opportunity to savage someone because of how they stumble. However, if there are no gaffes present or any appearances of impropriety, then the only thing left is to discuss the issues or make wild accusations.

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