Unmasking Hypocrisy: Politicians Need to Do Inner Healing Work
by Dr. Denise Renye
Many years ago, politicians used to be held in high regard. They were esteemed and revered as noble civil servants who were perceived as trying to make the world a better place. Now, even the perception of those types of leaders is virtually nonexistent. Instead, many politicians seem to be enacting the worst human traits possible and are only power-hungry. They want to be in control and are set on advancing their own agenda without regard for whom they’re hurting in the process.
In the lead-up to the next U.S. presidential election, the race is getting crowded with people who simply aren’t fit to lead, from the perspective that they haven’t done the inner work of healing themselves. It may be a bit naïve to consider that these two worlds would ever cross – inner work and politicians. It seems like getting to the top no matter the cost is the key to success rather than helping boost vulnerable citizens and create a country that can feel cohesive rather than split into varying levels of a dystopia. Take Chris Christie, who on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, announced he was running for president of the U.S.
During his speech from New Hampshire, he lampooned Donald Trump, who’s also running again, and said, “Beware of the leader in this country, who you have handed leadership to, who has never made a mistake, who has never done anything wrong, who when something goes wrong it’s always someone else’s fault. And who has never lost. The person I am talking about who’s obsessed with the mirror, who never admits a mistake, who never admits a fault and who always find someone else and something else to blame for whatever goes wrong, but finds every reason for anything that goes right – is Donald Trump.”
It's common for politicians to criticize their opponents as a strategy to fuel votes but I also find his comments hypocritical as Christie previously supported Trump, even endorsing him for president after dropping out of the 2016 primary. He then became a closer adviser to Trump ahead of the 2020 election and even participated in mock debates before turning on him and becoming a critic.
There’s an element of gaslighting here as politicians say anything to get elected and don’t care whether they stick to their commitments and/or statements after being elected. Once they’re in office, many voters slip into denial that the politician said what they said and gaslight themselves by denying a verifiable reality.
Christie’s comments about Trump are also hypocritical because he created the George Washington Bridge Scandal about 10 years ago. As a refresher, workers at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey shut down two of three access lanes from Fort Lee, N.J., to the toll plaza of the George Washington Bridge for several days starting on Sept. 9, 2013.
Half-hour commutes became four hours and a report by Port Authority calculated there were 2,800 vehicle hours of delay on the Fort Lee lanes each day during the shutdown. Why was the bridge shut down? Theoretically for a traffic study but in reality, as a punishment to Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich for declining to endorse Christie for president, according to the New York Times.
You read that correctly. Christie didn’t directly get his hands dirty, he wasn’t charged during the bridge scandal, but in essence, he threw a hissy fit and commuters paid the price. Christie used his clout in a power play to show Sokolich who was boss. And everyday citizens suffered greatly. And Christie isn’t the only one to do this. There are many, many examples of people in power playing out their unprocessed wounding on a national stage. For instance, in July 2022, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley demonstrated the gaslighting and denigration that transfolx, BIPOC, and basically anyone who’s not a cis-gendered, straight, white man experience on a regular basis when he interacted with Professor Khiara Bridges, an expert in race and reproductive rights, during a Senate hearing related to abortion rights.
Some politicians are very clearly traumatized and admit as such although they don’t use those words. They come from abusive backgrounds, struggle with addiction, and more. Nobody is perfect but it’s dangerous for an unhealed person to be in power because they act out on the national stage and that has very real consequences.
What the American people need, and all people really, are leaders who aren’t afraid to look at their own shadows, folx who want to heal their inner child, and those who can freely admit they make mistakes, yes, but do the work so they don’t make the same mistake over and over again. What good is an apology if it’s not followed up by real change? Especially for people who have so much power in their hands, I can’t think of anything more important that striving to be a healthier, more integrated person.
Journal Prompt
· Do my values align with how I express myself politically in this country/world?
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References
Krieg, Gregory; Shelton, Shania. “Chris Christie kicks off 2024 campaign with sharp attacks on Trump.” CNN. June 6, 2023. https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/06/politics/chris-christie-2024-announcement/index.html
Zernike, Kate. “The Bridge Scandal, Explained.” New York Times. May 1, 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/04/nyregion/george-washington-bridge-scandal-what-you-need-to-know.html
Zernike, Kate. “Christie Faces Scandal on Traffic Jam Aides Ordered.” New York Times. January 8, 2014. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/09/nyregion/christie-aide-tied-to-bridge-lane-closings.html