Con Man / Politician Similarities: Many--Watch for Them

--With Political Season in Full Swing, Observe the Parallels between the Con Man and Politician

It's said that diapers and politicians should both be changed frequently--for the same reason

Extreme thought? Yes. A "fit?" Read on. You be the judge.

Politicall talk--like the rantings of the con man-- is so often filled with purposefully confusing, seemingly idiotic questiolns like: Why do we park in the driveway, and drive on the parkway?

Hence, with the political season upon us, it seems appropriate to study some of these stunning likenesses between the tactics and maneuvering of the con man--and, the politician.

Take ad hominem attacks, for instance...

> Attack the person, rather than the argument. "Senator Twaddle's book about the Fall of the Roman Empire has no credence, because, in his youth he served 3 days in jail for drunken driving." (May be true, but has nothing to do with the Fall of the Roman Empire.) Or, the similalrity of"Senator Twaddle's views and those of Adolph Hitler. "Hitler, too, believed drapes should go all the way to the floor." (So, does this make Senator Twaddle also a monster?)

> A varient of this is Deflected Thinking. This too is valuable. "How can Senator Twaddle argue for his spendthrift Dermatology Funding Bill when his mother-in-law has multiple tattoos?" If asked to explain, and the accuser appeals for time to prepare his impromtu remarks, you'll know he's stalling.

> Attack by innuendo (no, we're not talking about an Italian interpretation of a doctor's proctoscopic examination). "Why doesn't Senator Twaddle tell us what he really knows of the coup in Lower Slobovia? Is he afraid we'll panic?" Instilling fear is a major tool. (Panic now, avoid the rush.)

> Pretense that a personal attack is not occurring. "In order to maintain civil discourse, I will not discuss Senator Twaddle's drug problem." (If all else fails the attacker merely lowers his standards further.) Frequently, when listening to such nonsensical slander, you might feel you are becoming a jibbering basket case thinking: if life is a waste of time and time is a waste of life, why don't we all get wasted together and have the time of our lives?

> Attack on intelligence. Opponent could find Senator Twaddle guilty of many shortcomings. He's ill-informed. Behind the times. Lacks comprehension. Not up-to-date Behind the curve. Or, the Senator is just plain stupid. (This, however, does not always work well. Fortunately, when going to this extreme, it's comforting to remember that a show-off, is often shown-up in a show-down.)

Look. Listen. Learn. The political season--every 2 years--is a great teacher, alerting you to most all of the shenanigans going on all around you. You can only be better off in defending yourself--particularly your psyche and sanity--by knowing the tricks.

If the con artist / politician is a woman. Remember, witches are crafty too.