When South Carolina U.S. Representative Joe Wilson stood up and yelled "You Lie" to President Obama in a joint session of Congress, the part of me that appreciates political theater applauded. I supported, not necessarily the message, but the method. It's just so rare that our elected officials let their guard down long enough to let us know how they really feel. It was the one moment during the president's speech where he was caught off guard.
The book by Joe Klein, "Politics Lost", points out a growing need for more unscripted moments in American Politics. It's when strategy and message control play second fiddle to real, brutal honesty. It's that type of political discourse that's needed more... and that needs to be on display more.
Sadly, the congressman apologized for the outburst. But, he gets points from me for being candid in simple terms concerning a complicated issue. For those people who say Rep. Wilson's comments were disrespectful, inappropriate, or made in the wrong setting, I don't totally understand what they mean. I know the members of Congress have rules for debate, so maybe Wilson was out of order. But, it was an opinion that should not be bottled up.
If more of our leaders really shared how they felt about an issue, perhaps our country's policies would better reflect the wants, needs, and desires of the American people.
You can watch the "You Lie" moment here at 21:48...
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